The Truth Is
by The Rickaboo
Summary: Namine finds out she's pregnant after passing out at a party, but she has no idea who the father might be, or what she wants to do about it. Namine and ? crack pairings
1. Welcome to Hell

**Disclaimer**: Kingdom Hearts and all related content belongs to Square-Enix and Disney.

**A/n**: I know what your thinking, not another one of those dumb high school fics. And you're absolutely right. But I wanted to try writing one. If you're one of those awesome people that read everything I write, thanks for reading, and sorry I'm too ADD to just focus on one story, but I'll finish them all soon enough. They're almost done anyway… Please review, unless you're going to yell at me because you hate high school fics. Well, I guess you can flame me, but it'll just make you look kinda dumb.

**About this story: **This is Namine-centric, with some adult themes, violence, language, illegal use of alcohol, you get the picture. After one of those crazy high school drinking parties (you know the ones) Namine figures out she's pregnant, with absolutely no memory of what happened, and no idea who might have gotten her pregnant. I'm sure you can imagine the chaos that can ensue when she not only has to tell her friends, but her _parents. _You may not want to read this if you're against crack pairings, drama, or Final Fantasy VII characters.

**Chapter One: Party Time!**

She paced her large walk-in closet anxiously, what to wear? It was Halloween tomorrow night, a Saturday, that made today the day that everyone's last minute plans fell into place. She had to look her best so the older kids would invite her along! Being a Freshman at Twilight High wasn't easy, she owed everything about her status to her looks, being way too shy to gain popularity on her own. It's not like she was necessarily proud of that, but it made things easier to bear.

Shaking her head to get her mind back on track, she reached into her closet and pulled out a pair of jeans and several shirts. She tossed them onto her bed and stared down at them, finally pulling on the jeans and pacing again while looking down at the shirts.

"Namine! Hurry up, we're late and now we'll have to walk!" Her sister yelled from outside her door.

"I'll be right out!" She hollered back, throwing on a white long sleeved shirt and pulling a black t-shirt on over it. Tossing her shoulder length blonde hair out of her face, she grabbed her messenger bag and ran out the door.

Kairi stood impatiently in the entrance hall, tapping her foot as she waited for her younger sister to barrel down the stairs after her. She opened the door for the girl and waved to their mother as she stood watching them from the den, coffee in hand.

"Have a good day, girls!" She cried after them, pulling her robe tighter around her shoulders as she watched the morning news. Kairi smiled brightly and quickly closed the door behind her, running after her little sister.

"Geez, what took you so long? Dad already left and the other car crapped out, so mom couldn't find us another ride." Kairi flipped her hair hurriedly, adjusting her bag over her shoulder as she linked arms with the blonde girl.

"I'm sorry, I woke up late again…" Namine said quietly, glancing back over her sister's shoulder at the manor fading into the fog behind them.

"It's alright, I was going to walk anyway!" Kairi grinned at her, holding a finger against her lips. Namine gave her a questioning look, but the other girl shushed her. "Sora called me last night, he wanted to meet me on my way to school!" She squealed happily and Namine cringed away from her. "I know he's going to ask me out tomorrow, he's romantic like that!"

The blonde girl watched the sidewalk ahead of them sadly, if her sister was going to walk with Sora again, that meant they were going to ditch her first, and it was a good two miles to Twilight High.

Sure enough, not ten blocks from home Sora appeared on the sidewalk ahead of them, wearing a thin grey sweatshirt and shivering from the cold morning air. Kairi blushed madly at him, but he acted completely oblivious, just taking her hand and telling her another one of his stories. Namine wanted to roll her eyes, or tell them to get a room, or _something_, but as usual, she remained quiet. Eventually, she had stalled enough so they had vanished ahead of her, finally letting her continue her walk in peace.

She was almost to school when Selphie and Yuffie loomed over her out of the morning fog covering the town. Yuffie giggled darkly, wrinkling her nose at the younger girl. Namine groaned internally, Yuffie Kisaragi, 19 year old super-senior with the world's biggest crush on a junior named Riku. She was cool, she was mean, and above all, she was severely punk. Everything necessary in intimidating a freshman like Namine. Selphie, on the other hand, actually liked Namine. She was sure that was the only reason Yuffie wasn't meaner to her.

"Morning, Namine!" Selphie sang, waving enthusiastically at the girl. The gave a timid wave back as the two girls bounded over to her, Yuffie going so far as to put an arm around her shoulders.

"Hey kid, got any plans for tomorrow night?" The older girl asked casually, tongue-ring flicking out into the air dangerously.

Namine shook her head, her hand tightening on the strap of her bag. Yuffie and Selphie lead her forward down the sidewalk, the large high school coming into view ahead of them. Tall trees lined the walkway up to the school, the few leaves remaining now tinged shades of deep red and orange. The fog only seemed to grow thicker as they approached the schoolyard, kids loitering in front of the steps. Namine watched Roxas start yet another 'struggle' match with his best friend Hayner, Olette watching from nearby.

Riku stood nearby talking quietly to a senior named Axel, and when Yuffie saw him she immediately released her hold on Namine's shoulders and stalked over to him. She watched her go with slight interest, before Selphie's somewhat annoying voice broke her train of thought.

"Wouldn't they just be the cutest couple?" She asked, gesturing over to the two. Yuffie was now hanging off of Riku's arm, and he hadn't seemed to notice her there. Namine looked doubtful, but nodded all the same. The bell rang, causing the students to scatter in near panic. They always seemed to act like the bell signaled the end of the world, running every which-way so as not to be late for class. Namine waded through the energetic students nervously, being jostled back and forth as kids ran into her in the hustle.

She had made it halfway up the stairs to the front door when a couple of boy ahead of her decided to start a wrestling match, knocking her off balance. Namine gasped in surprise as she turned her ankle on the step behind her and slipped backwards. She cried out as a pair of strong arms caught her from behind, stopping her fall. She knew something had gone horribly wrong when the students around her fell silent and stared at her in amazement. Shaking nervously, she turned to look at her savior, her heart skipping a beat in slight terror as her gaze settled on his casual green eyes.

Of all the people that could have caught her, it was Reno. Axel's twin brother. She could have died from shock.

The kids around her quickly filed into the school as she stood there staring at him in horror. He simply watched her with mild interest, shifting his cigarette from one corner of his mouth to the other. His hands rested in his pockets and he slouched slightly, staring her down. She couldn't believe she had touched him and survived.

"You should watch where you're walkin', kids in this school can be crazy." He waved his fingers in the air and grinned, stepping past her and entering the school.

She heard a muffled noise and slowly turned her head to lock eyes with her sister. Kairi mouthed the words 'oh my god' and gestured for Namine to come over to her. She quickly grabbed the girls arm and dragged her into the school behind him.

"Are you insane? Have you heard those stories about Reno? He beat some guy up just for calling him a 'poser'!" Kairi whispered urgently in her ear.

"Well it's not like I knew he was behind me!" Namine shot back, rushing down the hall as the late bell rang. Kairi watched her little sister disappear into her first period math class, shaking her head worriedly.

**xXx**

Having survived her first three classes, Namine hid behind her lunch tray in the cafeteria. She had finished her food in record time, and was now trying to finish her homework. No such luck, however, as Tidus and Leon plopped down at the table beside her.

"What was up with you and Reno earlier?" Leon asked almost worriedly, watching her shift behind her tray uncomfortably. She shrugged and put the tray down.

"Nothing, I fell and he caught me." She said quietly, groaning mentally as Aerith and Tifa sat down across from her and smiled.

"Hey, Namine, I found an awesome party to take you to tomorrow night!" Tifa grinned and whispered across the table to the girl. She slammed her gloved hand down on the table when Tidus tried to lean in and hear.

"Really? Who's going to be there?" Namine asked with interest, she'd never gone to a real high school party before. Tifa shrugged.

"Leon's going, some other kids. Most of them are older than you, so you probably don't know them. But it'll be fun, I'll take care of you." She winked at the younger girl as she thought about it.

Much to her horror, Axel chose that moment to walk by their table. Upon seeing her, he stopped and leaning over the table top.

"Hey Namine, heard you finally met my brother today!" Tifa swatted at him as his black jacket brushed against her. He swatted back and she growled menacingly. Namine just nodded meekly at the red-haired senior.

"You know, he's a lot nicer than people give him credit for. All those people he killed? Yeah, they deserved it." He laughed as Tifa shoved him away rudely.

"Go away, Axel!"

Namine hung her head in embarrassment. "Why is it such a big deal? Nothing happened, he just caught me!" She said quietly to Tifa. The older girl shrugged.

"Because, you know. He's really intimidating and scary and kind of cool, but he was nice to you. It's exciting!" The bell rang yet again and Tifa jumped up from her seat.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow, I'll come by to pick you up pretty early, okay?" They waved to each other and Namine watched her friend walk away down the hall.

**xXx**

She swung her legs back and forth beneath the counter, a cup of hot cocoa clutched in her hands. She sipped it gingerly as she gazed down at her literature textbook, picking up her pen every once in a while to jot down some notes. Kairi slammed the door open and took a seat next to her sister.

"You doing your homework for the weekend?" She asked with mild interest. Namine nodded and closed the book. She turned to look at the older girl, the hot mug still clutched in her hands.

"What?" Namine asked quietly, sipping from the cup as Kairi leaned back leisurely.

"Oh, nothing really. I just wondered what your plans were for tomorrow night." Namine shrugged.

"Tifa said she was going to take me to a party." She replied, finishing her cocoa and putting the cup in the sink. She grabbed the book off the table and walked out of the kitchen, Kairi quickly following.

"A party? You can't go to a party!" Kairi said almost angrily, her fists balled at her sides. Namine blushed and walked faster, running up the stairs and opening the door to her bedroom. Kairi closed the door behind them and stared daringly at her little sister.

"Why not? It's just a dumb Halloween party." Namine set the book down on her computer desk and turned to watch her auburn haired sister flop down on her bed.

"If Tifa is taking you then everyone else there must be seniors, or even graduated! You can't go to that party, I bet they'll be doing all sorts of illegal stuff!" Namine could have laughed, like she really cared if anything about it was illegal. She sat down at her computer and turned the chair so she could watch Kairi.

"It's not that big of a deal, if anything happens I'll just come home, okay? You can even come and check on me." She smiled innocently at Kairi. The older girl watched her suspiciously, but agreed.

"Just be careful, call me if anything happens and I'll come running." Namine smiled and nodded.

**xXx**

"Hey girls, your father and I will be home tomorrow morning, but don't try having a wild party while we're gone, Mrs. Gainsborough is staying here to watch the house since Shera has plans for the night. Is that what you're wearing, Namine? You're going to freeze to death! Oh never mind, I've got to go, be good you two!" Their mother ran out of the living room and grabbed her coat from the closet, waving enthusiastically as she darted out the door. Namine looked down at herself.

"You really think it's going to be that cold? Maybe I should grab a coat…" She was wearing a pinstriped white dress that stopped just low enough to cover her underwear, and Kairi had given her some fishnets to wear with her heavy boots. She had even gone so far as to put black eyeliner and lipstick on the girl's usually light face, effectively making her look dead, though she hadn't meant to.

"Nonsense, you look great." Kairi waved the comment off and jumped to her feet. "But if anyone dirty hits on you, slap them and call me!" She said harshly. A loud knock sounded on the front door and Kairi ran out to the entrance hall to answer it.

"Hey, I'm here for Namine." Tifa smiled from the other side of the door, raising a hand in greeting. Kairi huffed but let her sister dash out the door. She waved a finger threateningly at Tifa.

"You take care of her, she's just a freshman!" She slammed the door before Tifa could respond.

She stared down at the blonde girl in surprise. "Is she always like that?" Namine nodded grimly.

Little kids were already running back and forth down the street as they walked along, even though it was barely dark out. The sun had just begun to set, casting an orange light out over the town. They had been walking for a while when Namine realized she hadn't been here before. They were over behind the school somewhere, with a park nearby. The tall trees loomed over them and Namine shuddered.

"Who's house are we going to?" She asked nervously, walking close to the other girl.

"It's a guy named Vincent's house, it's really big. Yuffie, Aerith, and I are all pretty good friends with him. We convinced him to let us have a party there. Hey, there it is!" She pointed up ahead and Namine stared ahead at it.

It was a mansion, even bigger than her house, and it looked kind of decrepit. She couldn't believe someone would actually live there. She hesitated at the front gate, staring up at the wrought iron bars.

"Come on, Namine!" Tifa called back to her.

She rubbed her shoulders nervously and ran to catch up with the older girl. Tifa pounded heavily on the door, the sound echoing around inside. Several moments later, the heavy doors creaked open to reveal a tall, dark man with his face obscured by a crimson cloak. He glared down at them with eyes that matched his attire, a golden claw scraping along the doorframe.

"Who's this?" Namine shivered at him voice, she had to admit it was beautiful. Tifa watched him stare down at the young girl proudly.

"This is Namine, she's the coolest freshman at Twilight High! Namine, this is Vincent Valentine." She bowed lightly, more to break the gaze he had on her than anything.

"Pleased to meet you." She mumbled shyly. He grunted in response, shifting to the side to allow them to enter.

"Come in, Yuffie and Cloud are in the kitchen getting things prepared." he said calmly. Tifa bounced into the large entrance hall and Namine quickly followed her. She didn't exactly want to be left alone in this house.

They made their way back to the kitchen and Namine took a seat across from Yuffie, watching her mix some punch. Yuffie stared at her in surprise.

"Namine? What are you doing here?" A grin broke out across her face and she poured a cup of punch. Handing it across the table, she gave it to Namine.

"Tifa asked me to come." She said meekly, taking the punch and sipping at it. Yuffie grinned wider.

"I didn't know you were that cool. Here, have some pizza before everyone gets here and eats it all." She passed Namine a box with most of a pizza still in it. She took a piece and munched on it as she watched Cloud work on something he had cooking on the stove.

It wasn't long before people began showing up, and Namine had to admit, she didn't know most of them. A giggling blonde girl sat down beside her and she jumped nervously.

"Hi, I'm Elena, what's your name, cutie?" She tried to stifle her giggles as she leaned over towards Namine enthusiastically. She could smell the beer on the girl's breath and she almost laughed. She'd never seen anyone actually drunk before.

"I'm Namine." She said loudly, so she could hear her over the blaring music. The girl nodded.

"That's a beautiful name! I think I heard about you, actually, let me think. Oh yeah, you're the girl that Reno mentioned last night!" She looked around the room, swaying slightly in her seat. Namine's eyes widened in horror when she realized what the girl was doing.

"Oh, please don't-!" Too late, Elena stood up and waved her arm above her head.

"Hey Elena, wasted already?" Namine stared at him in terror as he approached them, white dress shirt unbuttoned casually and the cigarette usually in the corner of his mouth now lit. Elena laughed and slapped his stomach.

"Button your shirt, you hooker." She laughed so hard Namine thought she was going to fall off her chair. "Oh, anyway, isn't this the girl you said fell on you?" She gestured over at Namine and the girl jumped in her seat in fear. She felt a blush rise up in her pale face as he stared down at her again.

"Yeah, that's her alright." he stated. Namine thought she might die. He walked around Elena to stand beside her, leaning down so she could hear him.

"I never thought I'd see you here, who'd you come with?" he asked. Namine shivered, swallowing back the lump in her throat.

"Tifa brought me. Do you know her?" She nearly strained a muscle fighting back the urge to stutter.

Reno nodded. "Yeah, I know her, she's alright I guess. Kind of bossy." He laughed softly and Namine forced a smile. "You want some punch? It's not bad." he offered her a cup he grabbed off the table behind her and she took it, afraid of what he'd do if she didn't.

Axel appeared out of nowhere, hanging off of his twin's shoulders happily. "Hey! You made it! And you two are getting along nicely." He grinned down at Namine and Reno pretended to hit him.

Axel shoved him back and Reno stumbled slightly. '_He's drunk…_' Namine realized, watching him in shock. She hadn't even noticed! He didn't smell like he'd been drinking at all…

"Be nice to this one, she's shy!" Axel said loudly, pointing at Namine. Reno looked back at her and ruffled her hair slightly. She couldn't believe it.

"Na, she's a cool kid." He threw an arm over his brother's shoulders and Namine watched them with interest. They really did look alike, but she had heard they weren't identical. For one thing, Axel had black marks on his cheekbones, and Reno had red marks, almost like scars.

"Hey! Good to see you, man!" Reno yelled when Vincent appeared out of nowhere. He took a seat next to Namine and leaned forward towards her.

"Hey, I thought you should know, no one knows where Tifa went, but she's not here. It's okay, though, you seem to fit in pretty well." he said quietly, his deep voice rolling down her spine.

"Oh, that's alright, I didn't really expect her to stay with me." She said sadly. Vincent nodded.

"She's kind of like that when she drinks, don't worry about it." She found herself staring at his crimson eyes, like she was in a trance.

"How did you guys meet?" She blurted out, eyes going wide at her unexpected question. He leaned back slightly and shrugged gently.

"We used to work together, her and Cloud got part-time jobs with the company I used to work for. They always wanted me to come with them and do things, and they always dragged Yuffie and Aerith along. It was a lot better than sitting here alone, anyway." Namine nodded in understanding.

"Yea, if it wasn't for them I wouldn't have very many friends." She said, realizing that she was leaning extremely close to him, and he really didn't seem to mind. She sat but back and stared at him in confusion.

"What's wrong?" he asked as she held a hand to her head.

"I'm not sure, I feel really weird." he stared at her for a moment before laughing deeply. He took her empty punch glass and refilled it for her.

**End of Chapter One**


	2. Nevermind

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, it all belongs to Square-Enix and Disney.

**A/n:** Sorry if there's any mistakes in this chapter, it's late and I'm tired. And thanks _binii binii_, I can't believe I actually got a review for that. Here's the next chapter and all that, I hope you people like it. There's a little Namine+Reno going on, I couldn't help myself... I just love them both so much...

**Chapter Two: Nevermind **

The room was spinning wildly, the ceiling changing places with the floor and causing her stomach to lurch painfully. She knew she had thrown up again, but she couldn't feel it anymore. The lights flicked on and she groaned as she felt her limp body being lifted off of the bed, the soft covers sliding off after her. Everything faded to black again and her head began to pound viciously.

She was jolted back to her senses moments later when her head slammed into the doorframe violently. A male voice nearby cursed and a hand rested on the back of her head gently. Squinting down to the floor, she realized she was being carried. The floor shifted up towards the wall and her body shook as she coughed.

There were people all around her now, fading in and out of her sight. Loud music boomed in her ears and she hissed in pain, trying to put her hands up to shut out the sound. Her arms flailed uselessly and she tried to focus on them, finally giving up when she started dry heaving again. A blast of cold air slammed into her shaking form and whoever was carrying her turned to close the door behind them. She caught a glimpse of silver hair blowing in the wind, but everything turned black as soon as she settled her gaze on it.

**xXx**

"Can you hear me?"

She forced her eyes open in panic, bolting up from the bed. Bright light glared in at her from the window and her arms shot up instinctively to block the light.

"Where am I? What happened?" She peered out at the room from behind her hands, noticing several dark figures nearby. A hand rested gently on her arm and she lowered them to look into her sister's worried face.

"It's alright, Namine, you're home now. You're going to be fine." Kairi's soft voice broke through her fear, helping her relax back against the bed. She shoved several pillows behind the blonde girl's back to help her sit up.

"Namine, what did you think you were doing?" She stared up at her mother with wide eyes, still feeling dizzy from the night before.

"I'm not sure…" She held a hand to her forehead and Kairi leaned over to her mother.

"Tifa said she didn't know the punch was spiked, it's not her fault!" She pleaded, squeezing Namine's hand worriedly. Their mother rolled her eyes.

"Alright, but she still shouldn't have even been at that stupid party." The woman brushed her long blonde hair from her face angrily. She leaned in towards Namine. "Just tell me who it was that deflowered my little baby and I can make it all better!" She whispered loudly. Namine stared at her in horror.

"Oh my god!!" She shrieked, hands flying to her face as she realized what had happened. So that was why that hurt…

She threw the blankets back and dove out of the bed, landing shakily on the floor and wobbling across the room to the door.

"What are you talking about?" She whimpered, bracing herself in the doorway as Kairi rushed over to help her.

"Namine, someone raped you last night." Kairi whispered, grabbing the girl's arm to steady her.

Her mind spun, there was no way that could be true. She felt like she was going to throw up. Pulling away from Kairi, she dashed into her bathroom and slammed the door behind her. Namine fell back against the door, face in her hands, and cried.

She cried until her chest hurt and she had collapsed on the floor, body shaking from the stress. Even then she curled into a fetal position on the carpet, hugging her knees as if they could offer comfort. Finally falling asleep again, she welcomed the darkness around her.

**xXx**

It was dark by the time Namine dragged herself back downstairs. She wouldn't have gone, but she was starving and knew that her parents weren't home. After digging around in the kitchen, she emerged into the living room with a sandwich. She noticed Kairi sitting in front of the fireplace and approached her bravely. Neither girl spoke as she took a seat beside her sister and they watched the flames dance in front of them.

Kairi peeked over at the girl, noting how pale and miserable she looked. She felt responsible, she shouldn't have let her go. Or at least she should have gone with her.

"It's going to be okay." She said softly, smiling at her little sister. Namine chanced a glance at Kairi and tried to return the smile.

"How did I get home?" She asked, taking a small bite from her sandwich. Kairi smiled sadly.

"Riku found you at the party. He carried you all the way back here. I bet you can imagine how shocked I was when I opened the door to find Sora's best friend holding my unconscious sister over his shoulder." She forced a painful laugh and Namine managed to smile.

"You don't remember what happened, do you?" Kairi asked quietly. Namine didn't answer, she had been trying all day to remember it.

"I'm sorry…" She murmured, not even looking over at the auburn haired girl beside her. Kairi put her arm around her and rested her head on her shoulder.

"It's alright. You're okay and that's what matters." They sat there quietly as she finished her sandwich. The fire danced in front of them, casting orange shadows on their skin and warming the room. The wind howled outside and Namine's heart sank as she realized she had to go to school the next day.

"Where did mom and dad go?" She finally asked.

"Oh, um.." Kairi swallowed awkwardly. "They.. Went to the clinic." She refused to look at Namine.

"What? Why?" She asked innocently. Kairi's heart fell, Namine really was too young to have to deal with something like this.

She sighed. "The doctor got some 'DNA' while you were asleep." Namine blushed darkly.

"I see.." She murmured. Kairi reached over to stop her, but the blonde girl had bolted up from her seat on the carpet and dashed from the room.

**xXx**

"Namine!" Tifa yelled down the hall, running towards her.

Her heart leapt into her throat and she turned and ran. People stared in confusion as she shoved past them down the crowded hallway. Teachers yelled from their doorways, but Namine refused to stop. She didn't want to talk to anyone, especially not anyone she knew. Taking a sharp turn, she jumped down the staircase to the gym and ducked inside the door. It was third period and no one would be in here, she should be safe here for a good hour. Leaning against the door, she sighed heavily and tried to calm down. This really was ridiculous, she couldn't run from her friends forever.

She settled down on the floor and pulled her textbooks out of her bag. Opening it up, she started working on her homework. She heard the bell ring for everyone to be in class and relaxed, even though she had never cut class before. Her teacher might not even notice, though, it was a computer application class and he never paid attention to her, he only talked to the kids who knew what they were doing.

Finishing her math homework, she opened her literature book and began taking notes on the chapter. She was halfway through when the sound of the door opening behind her make her jump. Leaping to her feet and scattering paper across the floor in a panic, she spun to look.

"Whoa, you're really jumpy." She pouted up at him in embarrassment.

"Sorry, you scared me.." She mumbled meekly. Cloud grinned and stepped forward to ruffle her hair.

"What are you doing in here, you should be in class." He asked, taking a seat beside her hassled bag. She kneeled down in front of him to pick up her homework.

"I just, you know, didn't want to see anyone." He nodded in understanding.

"Yeah, I heard about what happened at the party." He said quietly. He shook his head and handed her a textbook as she stuffed papers haphazardly into the bag.

"I'm really sorry, I thought Yuffie told you what was in the punch. I guess I should have stopped you anyway, though. It was a really shitty thing to do." He said seriously. The memories made her want to cry and scream, but she just sat there expressionless. She nodded sadly in response.

"What are you doing in here anyway?" Her voice shook but she was desperate to change the subject. He looked over at her slyly and laughed, as if it was some private joke.

"Cutting class, duh." She couldn't help but smile.

"Come on, as long as we're skipping together we might as well get some food. This stuff the school feeds us is worse for you than a whole bucket of French fries." She smiled again and he helped her to her feet.

He leaned out the door carefully and watched the hallway. He moved forward a few feet, then quickly moved back again. After several moments, he motioned for her to follow him and he walked casually down the hallway. Turning to look, she could see the school security guard turning a corner down the hall behind them. He must have done this a few times…

She was nervous, but followed him straight out the front doors and down the stairs to the sidewalk. He lead the way through the neighborhood across the street and she relaxed happily. Minutes later, they came out across the street from the mall, and she followed him down the sidewalk to a Carl's Jr. He bought her lunch, much to her own shy protest, and she sat cautiously in the booth as she ate it. She brought her knees up to her chin defensively and leaned against the wall.

The door opened and she looked up in horror as Tifa, Selphie, and Yuffie walked in and stood in line to order. Cloud watched her in surprise, glancing from Namine to Tifa and back again. The two girls finally noticed them sitting in the booth and waved happily, making Namine sink lower and watch them sadly. Yuffie began making her way over to them, and at the last minute Cloud swung around and took the seat beside Namine. Yuffie hesitated, but took the seat across from them.

"Hey guys! I didn't know you skipped school, Namine." She smiled cheerfully and Namine cringed. "Did you have a good time at the party?" Her face turned crimson and she leapt to her feet on the bench.

"Maybe it would have been better if someone had told me that there was alcohol in that god damned punch, and then maybe I wouldn't have passed out and gotten raped!!" She shrieked.

The entire restaurant went dead silent and everyone stared at her. She huffed angrily and tears started rolling down her cheeks. Yuffie watched her in horror as realization dawned on her. Tifa ran over and Selphie looked on helplessly as Namine leapt from the bench and ran towards the door. She ran towards the mall, the sobs already making her chest hurt again. She knew someone was running after her, and she could hear Tifa yelling at Yuffie behind her in the restaurant.

Under the eaves of the mall entrance, Cloud grabbed her arm and swung her around into a hug. Selphie collided with them and quickly joined in, brushing the sobbing girl's hair from her face.

"Oh my god, Namine, are you serious?! That's horrible, how could someone do that?" Selphie looked like she was about to burst into tears herself and Cloud stared down at them in disbelief.

"I swear, Namine, if I had known that would happen I never would have let you go to that stupid party! I'm gonna find out who did it, okay? I'm gonna make him pay for it…" The words sounded weak, even to him, and she sank down to her knees on the pavement.

Her body went limp and her two friends sat there with her until Tifa finally caught up to them. Yuffie watched in horror from the sidewalk behind them, a hand over her mouth.

"You guys, get off, come on, this isn't going to help make her feel any better." Tifa said quietly, taking Namine's hand and forcing the girl to her feet.

"I'm going to take her home, you guys should stay here." She whispered to the others as she moved back towards the neighborhood, holding Namine's hand.

**xXx**

Namine rubbed a tired hand across her face, it had been a long walk home and she was glad to finally be sitting on her bed in her pajamas. She had cried until she couldn't cry anymore, and after talking to Tifa, she felt a lot better. The older girl had encouraged her to cry and scream all she wanted, and she had ruined several pillows letting out her emotions. The feathers lay scattered around the room, leaving an interesting moment when Kairi got home from school and found them there, yelling at a pillow with a pack of cookies under one arm.

It was getting late, and they had brought a TV into her room so they could watch a movie together and relax. She rested her head in Kairi's lap and the girl alternated brushing her blonde hair and braiding it. Once their parents had gotten home, it had taken a little bit of convincing to get them to let Tifa stay, but they gave up in the end. After a nap and several slices of pizza, she felt like maybe she would be able to face the world again tomorrow. Maybe, she'd have to wait and see.

**xXxXxXx**

It was November 29th, four weeks after Namine's Halloween nightmare. She had been sent to see a therapist, against her will, of course, and he had concluded that she wasn't about to face any severe trauma from the incident. Her parents still weren't convinced, but she was allowed to go hang out with friends again, only if Kairi was there, though. Not that she really had any complaints, people sometimes tried to make fun of her for what had happened, but they would have to get through her screaming, terrifying sister first.

It was lunchtime, and she had finished all her homework for the next class. Leaning back in her chair happily, Selphie wandered up and nudged her.

"Take me outside." She mumbled miserably. Namine gave her a questioning look, but nodded and followed her out the doors to the football field.

"What's the matter?" She asked, leaning over to the brunette. Selphie glowered up at the clouds.

"I hate boys." She growled angrily. Namine felt like she should back away a few steps. "Stupid Tidus has a date to the dance!" She cried, hitting a nearby tree in anger. Namine rolled her eyes.

"That's okay, just ask someone else." _'Anyone else' _she added silently. Selphie huffed.

"But I wanted to go with him…" She glared daggers across the football field and Namine followed her gaze curiously. The lacrosse team was out practicing, running back and forth across the field.

"There she is, miss perfect." Selphie spat. "I wish I could rip her hair out!" Namine almost laughed.

"You mean Yuna? She's nice." She gulped nervously when Selphie's hateful gaze shifted over to her.

"She's faking it." She whispered knowingly. This time Namine did laugh.

"I'll take you to the dance, Seeelphie." An irritating voice drawled from behind them. Namine jumped, but Selphie just snapped back furiously.

"Get away from me, Reno!" She slapped his hand away when he offered it to her. Namine stared up at him curiously and he shifted his gaze from the angry brunette down towards her.

"Hey kid, how's it goin?" He smiled. She shrugged absently.

"Honestly, I feel sick." She said, face falling.

He had begun talking to her a lot more often after she nearly fell on him on the stairs, and she was starting to wonder why. None of her friends really talked to him, except Yuffie. He mainly sat around with Elena and some other guy, looking threatening as people tried to rush past them to class every morning. He gave her a mock pout and pulled the cigarette from his mouth.

"This'll make you feel better." He grinned and Selphie yelled in disgust.

"Ugh, no thanks…" Namine muttered, wrinkling her nose at it. He laughed.

"I wouldn't have given it to you anyway." He said haughtily and popped it back into the corner of his mouth.

"What are you even doing out here?" Selphie growled, watching him suspiciously as he lit his cigarette.

"Checking out the scenery." He stated plainly, motioning out towards the football field. Selphie just shook her head.

"You're pathetic!" She said.

"Thanks." He blew a puff of smoke in her direction and she yelled.

"I'll see you in class, Namine, I'm out of here!" She waved her hand in front of her face and marched away towards the school. Namine stared after her, but didn't make any move to follow.

"Who are you taking to that stupid dance?" Reno asked suddenly. Namine jumped, but spun around to look back up at him.

"Oh, I don't know, nobody ever really talks to me. I wasn't going to go." She said quietly.

"Hm, you should go, it's the only one I'm going to this year." He looked back out over the field, laughing morbidly as a girl tripped and two other girls fell over her.

Namine watched him in surprise. "You mean, you want to see me there..?" She blushed lightly as he glanced down at her from the corner of his eye.

"Yeah, sure, kid. I'll take you if you want." She couldn't believe he had said that, one of the most intimidating guys in the school wanted her to go to the dance with him, and he wasn't even being direct about it.

"Sure, I'll go then…" She smiled up at him and he stared down at her in surprise.

"Seriously? Won't it hurt your popularity?" She forced a painful laugh.

"We can hope…" She muttered darkly. "I'm getting really tired of everyone knowing who I am."

"Yeah, me too." He coughed, extinguishing his cigarette and turning back towards the school as the bell rang.

"You better get to class." He said motioning towards the school.

She shrugged. "I guess. What are you doing?"

He watched her suspiciously. "I don't have a fifth period, I was gonna go hang out at the mall or something. Boring, cool kid stuff, you know?" She shook her head.

"Why, did you want to tag along?" He asked jokingly. She smiled and he nearly slapped a hand to his forehead. _' This girl is really clingy…'_

"You can't skip, I saw you working on your homework and everything, you're a good kid." He shoved his hands in his pockets.

"You were watching me during lunch?" She asked accusingly. He laughed.

"I saw you working on it, that doesn't mean I was watching you. Anyway, go to class." He made a shooing gesture, but she didn't move.

"What if I don't want to go?" She asked. He sighed and leaned his head back.

"Well why the hell would you want to come with me?" he asked, pulling a new cigarette from his pocket. She shrugged again and he gave up.

"Fine, fine, but it's not my fault if you get caught." He waved a hand in the air and walked away, Namine following him curiously.

**End of Chapter Two**


	3. Do You Care?

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Kingdom Hearts, you know the routine.

**A/n:** I feel kind fo guilty about this turning into more of a Namine+Reno kind of story, but he really should have been in KH. I mean, in a way he sort of was, since him and Axel are basically the same character, but still...

Please don't flame me for this...

**Chapter Three: Trouble**

"Ugh…" Namine sat on her knees in front of the toilet.

She gripped the porcelain sides of the bowl miserably and coughed. She had no idea where that came from, but it was a good thing they had been standing across from the bathrooms at the time. Wiping a shaky hand across her mouth, she pushed herself back up to her feet. Spending extra time washing her hands and face, she stared into the mirror above the sink. She looked paler than usual.

"Are you alright?" Larxene asked, watching the younger girl with interest as she wobbled out of the bathroom. The smell of food drifted over again from the food court behind them and Namine's stomach lurched again.

"Yeah, I think so. The smell in here just made me feel sick all of the sudden.." Larxene pressed a hand to her forehead.

"You don't feel warm or anything, you'll live." She motioned for Namine to follow her back to the table where Reno, Axel, and Elena were seated. No sooner had she taken her seat beside Axel when her phone rang. The sound made her jump and Reno snickered at her from across the table.

"Oh.. Hello?" She yanked the phone out of her pocket and nearly dropped it. Her sister's angry voice echoed at her from the other end.

"Namine! Where are you? You skipped fifth period!" Namine blushed when Axel leaned over to try and listen in. She swatted him away.

"I'm at the mall, in the food court." She said meekly, cringing slightly at the trouble she knew she was in.

"Don't move, I'll be right there." Kairi snapped before hanging up on her.

"You're in trouble." Reno grinned. Elena hit him, but couldn't help but smile.

"She's coming to get me.." Namine said miserably, sinking down in her chair. Axel threw an arm around her shoulders.

"Could be worse, she could bring your mom. Why aren't you allowed to hang out with us, anyway?" He asked in a mock sad tone. She just shrugged and let her body slump over the table.

"If I were you, I'd throw a fit. My mom hasn't asked me where I was going in three years." Larxene said smugly from the chair beside her.

"Yeah, that's because you sneak out of the house!" Reno laughed, ducking as she threw a packet of ketchup at his head.

It wasn't long before Kairi appeared out of a crowd in the food court, and she stood with her hands on her hips as she stared at her little sister in disbelief. She grabbed Namine by the arm and yanked her out of her seat, dragging her back towards the exit. Her new 'friends' waved as she was dragged away and she watched them miserably.

"What were you thinking? You can't hang out with people like them!" Kairi snapped, holding Namine's upper arm as they marched through the neighborhood towards home.

"Why not? They're nice to me, they don't make fun of me or anything." Namine mumbled.

"They're horrible, low class losers! Why do you think none of our friends ever talk to Reno or Larxene?" Kairi stated, her tone turning to worry as she watched Namine's sullen face.

"You mean your friends." She muttered. Kairi sighed.

"Look, they're dangerous, they don't care what happens to them or anything. They have no potential and no future, if you hang out with them they'll drag you down with them!" Namine snorted, but didn't want to press the matter since her head had started to pound painfully. Neither girl said a word the entire rest of the way home.

**xXx**

Morning, finally. She stared up at her ceiling sadly. Another wonderful day at school, where her friends were fake and someone was always watching her. She swung her legs over the edge of her bed and stood up. She walked slowly into the bathroom and leaned on the countertop, looking into the disheveled image in the mirror. She had just picked up her toothbrush when her stomach flipped uncomfortably and she slapped a hand to her mouth.

"Ugh…" She knew what was coming, dashing to the toilet just in time. She heard a knock behind her and cursed in her head.

"Namine, I was wondering if-" Kairi stopped dead in the bathroom doorway as she stared at her little sister, heaving painfully and poised over the toilet.

"Namine, what's wrong? Are you sick?" She asked worriedly, rushing forward and bracing a hand against the girl's back. She was finished, and leaned back again, sighing to herself.

"I don't feel sick, it just happens.." Kairi stared at her in confusion.

"What do you mean, it just happens? This happened before?" Namine nodded over at the older girl and pulled herself up on the counter.

"Maybe you should go to a doctor or something. I could go ask mom to take you if you want me to." Namine grabbed her arm desperately as she turned to leave the room.

"No! Please, don't tell mom!" She pleaded, pulling her back into the bathroom.

"What are you talking about? I'm sure it's not a big deal-" She stopped when tears started forming in Namine's eyes.

"I'm late." She murmured softly, staring miserably into her sister's eyes.

"Oh…" Kairi said.

"Oh. Oh! Oh my god! You're kidding!" She panicked as realization hit her and she wound her fingers in her hair in shock.

"Shit! What do we do?!" She howled as Namine leapt on her and clamped a hand over her mouth. She was crying now and Kairi felt like crying herself.

"Um, alright, it's okay, we'll just go find out, alright? I'm gonna go to the store, we'll get one of those test things, and then we can find out for sure, alright? Everything's going to be fine." She patted Namine's back and she sobbed into her shoulder.

With Kairi's help, she managed to get ready for the day and struggled into her jeans and a tank top. She pulled her bag over her shoulder and Kairi rushed her out the door, barely waving goodbye to their surprised mother.

Sora appeared on the sidewalk, waiting for them. Namine blushed in embarrassment when Kairi whispered something to him and he stood by in shock as they practically jogged down the street.

"Ok, you go to class, but meet me in the girl's bathroom right after second period." She shoved Namine towards the school and continued down the road.

**xXx**

It was nearly lunchtime now, and Namine sat under the paper towel dispenser in the bathroom. Kairi loomed over her, pacing back and forth anxiously.

"We can't just not tell them, Namine." She said sadly, twirling the test between her fingers before getting fed up with it and throwing it in the garbage can angrily.

"I want to go home." Namine whispered, looking up at Kairi. She nodded and helped the girl to her feet.

"What if they try to make me kill it?" She asked sadly, grabbing a handful of her shirt. Kairi sighed heavily.

"Namine, look, you're barely fifteen, you can't keep it. You don't even know who's it is!" She stated. Namine whirled on her angrily.

"It's mine! I don't care who caused it, it's mine and I won't let anyone kill it!" She shouted, turning and running down the hall. Kairi stood behind helplessly as the blonde disappeared down the hall.

She burst from the school as the lunch bell rang and dashed out past the football field, not stopping until she had found a sheltering tree to hide under. She sat there and cried, letting out all her frustration. She cried for what felt like days, until her whole body hurt from the strain and her head pounded angrily.

The bell rang again and she knew she was going to be late for class. Somehow, she managed to find it in her to go, dragging herself to her classroom and sitting down in her seat like a zombie. She stared ahead through the whole class, barely hearing what the teacher said.

**xXx**

"Namine…" She closed the door behind her softly and didn't look up. She didn't want any more bad news or drama, she just wanted to go to bed and never wake up. Someone touched her arm gently and she couldn't help but look up into her worried mother's face.

"Kairi told me everything." She said quietly, taking her daughter's hand and leading her into the living room. She fell miserably onto a couch and stared at the floor.

"You can't have a baby, Namine. Maybe if you knew who the father was, but you can't do it by yourself, and honestly, your father and I don't want to help you. Our decision is for you to get an abortion, if you choose otherwise, we don't support it and we won't help you. If you don't want to kill it, you need to put it up for adoption, but you can't have it here." Namine nodded at the statement a stood up, fists clenched at her sides.

She turned without a word and walked out of the room, too upset with her family to even want to argue.

**xXxXxXx**

Friday, November 8th. The school dance was tonight, and Namine had spent the entire week avoiding the student body. Her friends were starting to catch on to her hiding places, so she had chosen to hide under the bleachers today. Lunch was almost over and she closed her textbook to put it away, her homework tucked neatly inside. A dark figure to her right made her jump sharply.

"Hey, kid, you've been hiding." Reno said, gazing down at her nonchalantly.

"I haven't been feeling very social." She muttered, trying to avoid his eye contact. He gave her a sideways glance.

"What's wrong?" He watched her intently for several minutes as she tried to ignore him. She finally gave up and started putting her books and papers away, and he leaned down to help her.

"I'm pregnant." She said simply, not looking at him. Reno sat back awkwardly and stared at her, several papers still clutched in his hand.

"Wow, really?" She nodded and he shifted his cigarette again, thinking.

"Your family giving you a hard time about it?" He asked. She nodded again and he lit his cigarette. "Yeah, some people can be pricks." She looked up at him curiously and he nodded.

"Larxene almost had one once, but her parents talked her out of it." Namine watched him as he finished shoving the papers back into the bag and stood up. He offered her a hand and she took it, pulling her up off the ground.

"I thought you didn't have a boyfriend though?" he gave her a suspicious look, but she shook her head sadly.

"I don't, I don't know who the father is…" She was starting to get numb to the idea, but for some reason it hurt to admit it to him.

"Hmm, that's tough. You still going to the dance tonight? It'll help get your mind off things." He shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned against the metal structure. She watched him for a moment before shrugging.

"I don't know, it's better than being at home I guess." She really didn't want to go, but she would rather deal with her teasing classmates than her disapproving parents. He nodded in understanding and pulled the cigarette from his mouth, exhaling sharply.

"Can I…?" She asked, motioning towards his cigarette. He watched her curiously for a moment before handing it over and crossing his arms.

"You shouldn't be smoking if you're pregnant." Reno stated. She ignored him and put the cancer stick to her mouth, inhaling the smoke. He watched with interest as she breathed in the smoke and exhaled without a problem. She wanted to cough and spit, the smoke burned her throat and nose, but she felt like she had something to prove to him. He grinned and took it back.

"Go to class, I'll meet you at the mall at eight, considering your parents would probably give you a harder time if someone like me showed up on your doorstep." He waved over his shoulder at her as he turned and walked away. She watched him go before gathering herself and heading to her next class.

The bell still hadn't sounded as she walked won the crowded hall. Several people cast her suspicious looks, but no one said anything to her. Practically the whole school had heard how she couldn't hold her alcohol and someone had taken advantage of her. She had just approached her locker and opened it when Riku appeared beside her.

"Hey Namine." He said quietly. She jumped and clutched her textbook to her chest defensively.

"Hi…" She mumbled. He leaned in closer and she began to get nervous.

"You want to go with me to the dance tonight?" He asked in a hushed tone. She gave him a sideways glance before responding.

"Uhh, I kind of…have a date.." She said nervously. His eyes widened in surprise behind his thick silver hair.

"Really? Who's taking you?" It almost sounded like a challenge, and she realized he didn't believe her.

"Um, Reno asked me to go with him." She held her head up a little higher at the mention of his name. A few weeks ago, she would been afraid to admit she knew him, now she found it comforting. It was amazing how quickly your life could change after one drinking party.

Riku stared at her for a moment before bursting out in laughter. "That's great, Namine, I can't wait to see you two." He wandered away and she stared after him in confusion.

Why was it so hard to believe that Reno asked her to go with him? Her delicate brow furrowed in thought as she watched the silver haired teen disappear in the crowd of people around her. Was she just a joke now? And why had he wanted to take her if she was just a joke to the school? She slammed her locker angrily and surprised herself. She decided not to worry about it and rushed to her next class just as the bell rang.

**xXx**

Kairi and Sora were too busy flirting to notice Namine slip out of the room. She had put on a modest white dress that came to her mid thigh, light blue high heals, and a light blue sweater that only came to her midriff. She slipped quietly down the stairs and opened the front door, jumping when she realized her mother leaning in the doorway to the living room. She opened her mouth to reprimand her youngest daughter, but heaved a sigh instead and turned away. Namine found herself scowling at the woman and tugged the door open, walking out into the night.

Looking up at the clear night sky, she breathed easily and sighed at the relaxing feeling. She walked quickly down the road, it was only seven thirty, but she didn't want Kairi to catch her looking for her 'date'. She wondered exactly why Reno didn't care about what happened like everyone else did. To the rest of the school, what happened to her was a scandal. It was embarrassing outcast material, and she could honestly say that she didn't have any real friends anymore. But Reno was so much different, she felt like there was a chance she could fit in with him and his friends. He had his fair share of rumors, but it was obvious that he couldn't care less about it.

She was walking fast, and had already rounded the corner and could see the school up ahead, bright lights glinting in the night. She slowed down, sure that Kairi and Sora where just now leaving. There were a few people loitering in front of the school and she wondered what people would think of her, walking in to a school dance with none other than Reno himself. It was exhilarating, but terrifying at the same time.

Namine stopped at the edge of the school yard, leaning behind a tree. She didn't see him and it was nearly eight o' clock. Heaving a sigh, she stared down at her feet. How did she know he would even show up for her? Several happy couples walked by behind her and she hit behind the tree, tucked out of sight of the sidewalk. Her heart ached as she watched the couples in the light from the school. People holding each other and talking happily, swinging around in anticipation of a night of dancing. She watched them almost dreamily as the line in front of the doors grew longer and longer, finally beginning to disappear inside the double doors at the top of the stairs. Excited teens ushered their friends inside as the doors opened and the happy couples vanished from her sight, leaving her feeling cold and lonely.

"Feel left out?"

She jumped and nearly cried out in surprise when Reno's familiar face popped up in front of her. He gave her that grin and blew a puff of smoke up into the sky.

"What are you doing out here?" She snapped.

"Looking for you, duh." He laughed and she felt her face turn red. He motioned behind him and turned back towards the schoolyard. She quickly followed his lead as he walked along the side of the school and leaned in against the shadowed building. She turned around just in time to see her sister walk by the tree they had just been standing next to.

"I'm assuming you didn't tell anyone I asked you to come here?" he waved his cigarette in her face and she followed the red glow with her eyes as she thought.

"I told Riku when he asked me to go with him, but he laughed at me." She stated. Reno laughed again.

"I bet he did." He took a long drag and blew the smoke away from her politely.

"Why did you want me to come here?" She asked. "I mean, really, am I some kind of inside joke for the school now?" She crossed her arms and couldn't help but feel a little defenseless. He hesitated for a moment, pondering her words.

"You do realize that everything is a joke to them, right?" He asked quietly. She threw her arms in the air.

"Who's _them_?"

"Your sister, Riku, your so-called friends. That's them, and if you're not like them you're a joke. Have you noticed that?" She felt a little offended by his statement, but it was intriguing somehow.

"What do you mean?" She let her arms fall limply at her sides.

He chuckled mysteriously and she stared at his shadowed face. "You know what I'm talking about, you just haven't realized it yet."

"So if you don't like people like my sister, how come you wanted me to come here with you?" She couldn't tell if he was insane or just very clever. He flicked out his cigarette and motioned for her to come closer.

She leaned her face in and he did the same, staring at her seriously. "Because." Before she caught what he was doing, he had moved forward and given her a kiss on the lips. She stared at him in shock as he pulled away and acted like nothing had happened.

"Let's go inside, it's getting cold out here." He said casually, offering her his arm. She accepted it in a daze and allowed him to lead her out from the shadow of the school.

**End of Chapter Three**


	4. Maybe Not

**Disclaimer:** I don't own KH of FF or anything in this story.

**A/n: **Hmm, we've got some Namine+Reno, Namine+Riku, and Namine+Axel so far… How confusing. But I guess I knew this was going to wind up uncontrollably _crack _when I started it.

Thanks for the reviews, everyone, I was so happy that I'm updating a whole week earlier than planned! And yeah, Namine demands a lot of pity in this story, and sorry if she's OOC, I don't usually write like this, but I needed her to be shy and passive. Well, here's a long, fluffy chapter. Enjoy!

**Chapter Four: Innocent? Maybe Not…**

Namine wasn't sure this was really happening, she watched distantly as people greeted them, only to stop after realizing exactly who it was hanging off Reno's arm. Several groups of girls were huddled in the entrance hall, hoping to find someone to pounce on for the night. Half of them scowled darkly at Namine and the several of them instantly began flirting with Reno. The others simply stood there dumbfounded as he walked past them with the shy girl stuck to his arm like a lost puppy.

The lights around them dimmed and she realized they had already entered the gym, streamers and balloons decorating the room. Cords ran back and forth across the ceiling, supporting walls made of cloudy transparent fabric. It gave the gymnasium a soft of magical atmosphere and separated several groups of students.

"Hey everyone! We'd like to welcome you to the first semi-formal dance of the year, glad you could make it! Things are running a little behind schedule so I'll make this quick. Before we begin I just need to remind you that dirty dancing is strictly prohibited at school functions, since some of you had some problems at that last dance. School rules are still in effect, so please keep them in mind. Other than that, sorry to stall, so let's start this party!" A peppy senior girl cheered from the stage and everyone followed suit. Her overpowering school spirit made Namine cringe and she watched as the girl disappeared off stage and the DJ took his rightful place front and center.

The speakers began to pound furiously and music blared around them. The gym was full of people and Namine couldn't believe so many actually attended school dances. A hand fell on her shoulder and she spun around to see who it was. Kairi stared back at her angrily.

"What are you doing?" She demanded, voice raised above the music. Namine faltered, she didn't know what to say.

"Socializing!" Reno leaned down and smiled widely at her, pulling his arm tighter around Namine's shoulders.

Kairi tapped her foot and raised an eyebrow at him. "Yeah, sure. What the hell are you trying to do to my sister, Reno?" He gave her a blank look and leaned back again.

"If I was trying to be sneaky, would I take her to a social event?" He replied, staring the angry girl down. "She wanted to come, she does have a mind of her own, you know." He spat accusingly and it was painfully obvious that he didn't care at all for Namine's sister. She dug her fingernails into his shirt defensively as Kairi turned on her instead.

"Why do you want to hang out with people like him? And what makes you think you can date him? He's four years older than you!" Sora appeared by her side and he gave the blonde a sympathetic look.

"Why can't you just leave me alone! Did you ever stop to think that maybe I don't want to be like you?" Namine surprised herself and broke away from Reno, vanishing into the crowd of people on the dance floor.

Kairi was always butting in on her life, trying to mold her into something she didn't want to be anymore. Too upset to really watch where she was going, she ran straight into someone and nearly tripped. An arm reached out and steadied her, and she looked up into Riku's aquamarine eyes.

"I wondered where you were, but you really should be more careful. A lot of people here would be more than happy to start a fight for accidentally bumping them." He smiled at her and she sighed, life just kept getting more and more complicated…

"Where's Reno?" he asked, a hint of suspicion in his tone. Namine gestured back over her shoulder.

"Fighting with my sister…" She said miserably. "I don't even know why he actually brought me here." Riku glanced over her shoulder and saw the red headed man standing several meters away talking angrily with Kairi. The song ended and a slow song started to pound gently out of the huge speakers on the stage.

"Hm, well, let's dance." He grabbed her hand and she gave in, people were acting weirder and weirder around her. He pulled her closer as a new song started and she moved awkwardly.

"I don't know how to dance." She mumbled quietly in his ear when he pulled her close. He just shrugged.

"No one knows how to dance in high school, don't worry about it. Just follow my lead." She nodded and moved her feet delicately as he moved, taking her hand in his to distinguish them from the crowd of awkwardly shuffling teenagers. They turned gently with the slow beat of the music, and Namine became aware of the fact that he was slowly shifting his face down until their cheeks brushed with every other step.

She watched the other people in the room, dancing happily with their partners. Everything seemed so wonderful, her heart sank at the thought that the chaos in her life was just beginning. Riku gently began running his hand up and down her back and she wondered if she should stop him. The song was ending and she leaned back away from him, silently happy to be free again. She didn't necessarily have anything against Riku, she just didn't know him very well. He let her go and smiled down at her. Stepping back, she forced a smile and quickly began scanning the room to see what had happened to Reno.

There were tables set up along one wall and she spotted him lounging in a chair. She began to wade through the sea of students when she realized he was talking to Yuffie and Larxene. They were talking so loudly she could hear them from her spot on the edge of the crowd.

"I still can't believe you did it." Larxene laughed and Yuffie joined her.

"Why her?" Yuffie asked, making a face.

"What's wrong with her?" Reno asked, giving Yuffie a quizzical look.

"Nothing I guess, if you like shy, antisocial poser girls." She replied. Larxene laughed again and Reno shrugged. When he didn't reply the two girls started to laugh all over again and he watched them blankly.

"Why did you ask me to come here?" Namine asked bravely, approaching their table. Yuffie and Larxene fell silent and watched her. Reno jumped up from his seat and opened his mouth to reply.

"Namine! Dance with me next, you gave Riku a chance!" She looked up in surprise as Axel leapt out from the dance floor and threw an arm around her. Reno moved forward angrily as his brother tried to pull her back into the mass of badly dancing students.

"Axel, she's my date, get your own!" He said harshly. Axel just stuck his nose in the air.

"No way, you can have her all night, I have to leave in half an hour." He pulled her back gently and she complied, watching Reno over her shoulder. He stared after them and she could have sworn he had a hurt look on his face, but he disappeared out of sight when a group of chattering girls walked between them.

"Burn…" Larxene laughed at the irony and Reno glared back at her.

"You do like her, don't you?" Yuffie snickered.

"Shut the fuck up, you are so annoying! You two are only here because no one wanted to take you and everyone else worth talking to is here. Does Riku even remember your name?" Reno snapped. Yuffie bristled with anger, trying to hide how much that hurt.

"If she's so embarrassing to know then why is it the guy you've been chasing for years wants her?" Yuffie threw her chair aside and stormed out into the hall at his comment. Larxene gave him a dirty look and ran after her. Once they were gone, he heaved a sigh and fell back down into his seat. Staring out across the dance floor, he spotted Axel's red hair and watched as he tried to teach Namine how to dance to a normal song.

He had her standing in front of him with his hands on her hips, moving smoothly to the beat of the music. She looked embarrassed, but she was trying anyway. Axel leaned down and breathed against her neck, making her back stiffen. Reno growled angrily, his stupid brother always had to copy him…

"Been ditched, too?" Reno looked up when Cloud took the seat next to him, leaning on the table in boredom.

"Yeah…" He leaned back and crossed his arms.

"Why Namine?" Cloud asked, staring across the table at him. Reno sighed and thought about it.

"Just look at her." He said, gesturing through the crowd to where his brother was blatantly flirting with her. Cloud followed his gesture and watched the girl for a moment.

"You'd better not hurt her." He said stiffly. Reno's gaze snapped back over to him.

"Why would I hurt her?" He asked cautiously.

Cloud shook his head. "I know you, Reno. Just don't." he hardly thought that was a fair assumption, but he watched angrily as Axel leaned down and kissed Namine's shoulder. He burst from his seat and charged across the room, Cloud watching with interest from the table.

"My turn." He shoved Axel aside rudely and grabbed Namine's hand. She stared up at him with what looked like relief and followed him through the crowd away from his twin. He pulled her out into the hall and she shielded her eyes from the bright glow of the lights.

"Reno, why did you really bring me here?" She demanded. He whirled around and stared down at her.

"Look, I just like you, alright? I'm not up to anything, I'm not trying to trick you! I can't stand very many people, so it's not often I actually like someone. Why does everyone think I'm trying to pull something?" He released his grip on her hand and threw his arms in the air. He spun back around and leaned on the wall, slapping a hand to his forehead.

"Do I look that suspicious?" He mumbled. She felt sorry for upsetting him, but moved forward carefully. His flame red pony tail hung down past his shoulder blades and she tugged on it playfully as he moped.

"You look beautiful tonight…"

"Thank you." She chirped. "Do you want to dance?"

He glanced back and nodded. "Let's just hope no one tries to pick a fight, you're getting popular." He almost sounded angry, but he took her hand again and she followed him back to the gym. He moved back to the table and took his seat again, nodding to Cloud, who still hadn't moved. Namine wandered over and sat next to Reno, staring out at the people dancing in front of them. She glanced over at Cloud and noticed how rejected he looked. A slow song started to play and Reno jumped up from his seat. Grabbing Namine's hands, he pulled her to her feet and she looked back at Cloud helplessly as she was dragged yet again out to the dance floor.

To her surprise, he pulled her up against his chest and held her hand gently. It didn't feel nearly as awkward dancing with him as the other two, and she relaxed a bit as they moved smoothly across the floor. She leaned her head against his shoulder and watched the people around them. She saw Riku with a much younger girl, and he was watching Reno with hatred. He looked away when he noticed Namine watching him.

"Did someone dare you to come here?" She asked suddenly. Reno hesitated and his step faltered, but he didn't stop.

"Yeah, Yuffie dared me to go to this dance, she said I had to find a date and dance with her or I lose." He said quietly in her ear. She made a sound of understanding, but didn't actually respond. "And before you say it, no I didn't just ask you because of that dare." he rolled his eyes.

"Can we go?" She asked shyly. He looked down into her eyes and gave her a quizzical look.

"I don't want to be here anymore…" She sounded a little upset and he stepped back. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and lead her out of the gym.

Several teachers waved and wished them goodnight as they walked back out the front doors. He hesitated when they reached the sidewalk.

"Do you want me to take you home?" He asked, Namine shuddered at the thought of her mother yelling at her again.

"No…" She murmured sadly. "Can I go to your house? I mean, my parents are going to kill me anyway…" She felt awkward, but it felt like going home tonight could seriously mean death. Reno just smiled.

"Sure, if you really want. But I'm warning you now, it's a hole in the dirt next to your house." He turned and walked away down the street, giving her the chance to change her mind. She quickly followed him as he turned and entered the neighborhood.

It was late and Namine was tired. She rubbed her face as they walked along, turning down side streets and winding through the maze of identical houses. He turned sharply and she watched as he jumped the wooden fence to a nature park across the street. Stopping on the other side, he motioned for her to follow and she decided to obey, climbing over the wooden boards of the mostly decorative fence. He disappeared into the dark shadows of the forest and she cried out when he left her there alone. Stumbling down the sidewalk in the darkness, she bumped into him and quickly apologized. He paused there for a moment before continuing down the path through the trees.

Namine glanced around nervously, it was too dark to see anything. She could hear Reno walking ahead of her and followed close behind, trying to stay as close as possible. He glanced back at her and grinned.

"Namine." She jumped at the sound of her name and made a choked noise in response.

"Are you afraid of the dark?" he asked. She was quiet for several moments.

"Maybe a little." He laughed softly and she pouted at him through the darkness, forgetting that he couldn't see her.

"We're almost there."

The walk seemed to take forever, weaving down the path through the park. The sidewalk alternated between asphalt and woodchips, the transition always making Namine nervous for a moment. The path dipped down again and the asphalt ended, sending her tumbling forward into the woodchips when she failed to realize the sudden ledge. She cried out in surprise and landed on her hands and knees.

"You alright?" Reno leaned down and grabbed her arm, hauling her to her feet. She hissed in pain and pulled a chip out of her palm. Her skin was so pale, she could see the blood seeping out of the cut.

"I can clean that up for you when we get there, come on." She let him pull her along in the dark, lights finally visible ahead through the branches.

Minutes later they came to another fence and there was a sparse neighborhood behind it. Reno helped her over the fence and jumped it easily, shoving his hands back in his pockets as he moved out under the light of a streetlamp.

"Home sweet home, huh?" He motioned towards the house to their left and grinned. It was a two story shack, in Namine's opinion, but anything was better than her own home. He ran up to the door and pulled it open, holding it as Namine walked in ahead of him.

She glanced around nervously, it smelled like cigarettes. An older woman sat on the couch watching the news, and she looked up in surprise when she noticed the small blonde standing there.

"Who's this?" She asked quietly when Reno walked in behind her. He threw an arm around her and grinned proudly.

"Hey mum, this is Namine, she got kicked out of her house and needs a place to stay the night." The woman nodded in understanding.

"Alright, nice to meet you Namine." She smiled warmly and the girl offered her a small smile and wave before Reno ushered her forward.

"Oh, I told the boys they could play your video games downstairs, I hope that's alright." She called when they left the room and walked into the kitchen. Namine looked at him questioningly, but he moved forward and opened what she had assumed was a closet door.

"Yeah, me and Axel don't share a room too well, so mom makes me live down here." He said, motioning for her to go ahead of him again. She walked in and began down the rickety staircase. "Okay, so I won and I get to live down here instead." He added, closing the door behind them.

Excited voices echoed up at them from below and Namine looked around curiously as she reached the bottom and moved around a beam into the room. Axel, Roxas, and Olette were seated nonchalantly on the ratty couch, cheering as Axel and Roxas fought on their video game. They all looked up in surprise when the two arrived and Olette jumped up excitedly.

"Namine! I didn't know you two were dating!"

Namine blushed profusely and Axel looked sad. Reno cleared his throat and walked over into the bathroom across from the stairs.

"Come in here, I can clean that cut for you." He whispered. She followed him in and he pulled some cleaning solution down from the cupboard. Turning on the water, he pulled her hand under the stream and scrubbed at it gently. He dried it carefully and put on the solution before bandaging it with some gauze and athletic tape, leaving Namine with an odd bandage around her hand. She stared down at it until Reno pulled it up again and kissed her palm.

"All better." he said, walking out of the bathroom and throwing off his coat. He jumped onto his bed against the wall and watched the two boys continue their battle. Namine moved over and squeezed onto the couch beside Olette, smiling at the girl. At least she sort of knew someone.

"Did you have fun at the dance?" The brunette asked. Namine nodded.

"It was alright. I didn't see you there." She said quietly. Axel kicked Roxas and started yelling about cheating, and the two boys tumbled off the couch in a wrestling fit. Olette shook her head and took their seats, giving the girls more room.

"Yeah, we all left early to go see a movie." She said. She leaned forward towards Namine and lowered her voice.

"Hey, I heard some stuff from Selphie, can we go in the bathroom?" She asked somewhat urgently. Namine nodded in confusion and stood up. Reno watched as they wandered over to the bathroom and closed the door.

"Okay, I'm sorry if this sounds rude, but I just have to know, are you really pregnant?" Olette asked quietly, clasping her hands in front of her face.

Namine stared at her in shock. "Selphie told you that..?" Her voice shook slightly and Olette nodded.

"Yeah, it's true." She mumbled. Olette didn't seem too surprised, she must have really thought about it.

"Your parents are actually going to let you keep it?" She blurted out. Namine looked up at her sharply.

"Not really, they're practically kicking me out." She knew it sounded bitter, she really hated her parents now.

"That's terrible! You can live at my house if you really need to, we have spare rooms and everything. Have you gone to a doctor yet?"

Namine shook her head. "They'll give you a bunch of information when you go, but you should do it soon, the baby will be healthier." She held a hand to her head, how could Olette react so naturally to this?

"Well anyway, I'm sure you don't really want to think about it right now, just relax. Everything will work out, I'll help you through it, okay?" She put a hand on the blonde's shoulder and smiled reassuringly. Namine couldn't help it, she burst into tears and threw her arms around the other girl.

"I can't do it, I just can't. I have no idea what I'm doing, my family doesn't even want to know me anymore, and everyone at school just thinks I'm a whore!" She sobbed miserably. Olette hugged her and patted her back.

"Who cares what people think? You can do it, lots of girls go through this every year, so don't tell yourself it's impossible. Everything seems impossible in a bad situation, but it's really not. My family can help you, we've been through it before without disowning anyone!" Namine broke away and rubbed her hands over her face. She sniffled softly and leaned against the door again.

"Riku and Axel keep hitting on me…" She mumbled. Olette smiled grimly and nodded.

"Always want what you can't have, huh?" She giggled at the thought of Axel being so jealous over his brother.

"Since when were you two dating, anyway?" She gave the blonde girl a sly look and Namine sighed.

"We're not dating." _'I think'_ She replied. "He's just a lot nicer to me than most people at school…" It sounded dumb, but she wasn't sure how to explain it. Olette gave her that 'whatever' look and moved to open the door.

The boys were still at it, sitting haphazardly on the floor as they pounded buttons. Reno had moved over to the couch and waved to the girls as they walked back into the room.

"I'm so tired…" Olette yawned. Reno motioned over to his bed.

"You girls can sleep there, we'll suffer on the floor for you." Olette smiled at him and jumped on the bed.

"Oh, Namine." Reno got up and moved over to his dresser and shoved most of what was usually its contents out of his way. He pulled open the bottom drawer and tossed a pair of sweatpants and a small shirt at her.

"I'm willing to bet you don't want to sleep in that dress." She blushed lightly and thanked him, watching Axel suspiciously as his head shot up. She stuck out her tongue at him.

"Like I'd really change in front of you." She rolled her eyes and went back to the bathroom to change.

Minutes later, she returned and crawled under a blanket next to Olette's now sleeping form. She watched the light from the TV dance around the room as she tried to fall asleep. She couldn't believe she was here, she wouldn't be surprised if her parents decided not to let her back in the house tomorrow morning. Her eyes slowly drifted closed to the sounds of the boy's hushed voices.

**End of Chapter Four**


	5. Something to Feel

**Disclaimer:** KH belongs to Square-Enix and Disney.

**A/n: **Moving right along, thanks for the reviews, people!! I'm trying to speed things up so this story doesn't turn out a million chapters long, I'm sure none of you are keen on reading eight month's worth of crap. It's probably not gonna be much longer, actually. Sorry this chapter is so late and short, for some reason it was really hard to write.

**Chapter Five: Something To Feel**

"And we're just going to need you to pull your shirt up a bit more."

Namine watched the nurse warily out of the corner of her eye and she sat down on the examination table. She laid back and pulled her shirt up, revealing her rounding stomach. The nurse finished whatever she had been doing and turned back around to face the girl, pulling on a pair of gloves. She took a bottle from the stand beside her and Namine shuddered as the cold gel was spread onto her skin. Kairi giggled from the chair beside her and she glanced over as she took her hand.

"We'll be starting soon, I'm going to dim the lights." She flicked a switch and Namine's eyes widened slightly as the lights dimmed.

The nurse picked up an odd looking instrument and Namine eyed it as she brought it over her stomach. Her body tensed slightly when she brought it down against her skin, but relaxed when the screen above her flickered to life. Her eyes widened again when she registered what she was seeing, the pale image bouncing slightly with the nurse's movements.

"Oh Namine…" Kairi breathed, staring up at the screen.

"Hmm, looks like a little girl!" The nurse chirped.

Namine's face lit up and she smiled happily at her sister. A girl, exactly what she'd wanted to hear. She stared at the tiny form on the screen, her heart feeling like it could burst. She'd need this moment for so long. Here was the proof that she was doing the right thing, that picture in her mind could keep her going for the rest of her pregnancy. Kairi beamed at her little sister as the nurse finished doing the measurements. She assured the girls that everything was fine and there was nothing to worry about. She packed away the equipment again and Namine and Kairi bounded out of her office. They burst from the front doors of the clinic and Kairi laughed happily.

"She's going to be so cute, she'll look just like you!" She grinned excitedly. Namine smiled distantly as she thought about it. She held a hand over her stomach protectively as they walked back down the road.

It wasn't very far back to school, and Kairi hugged her sister goodbye as she rushed to class. She stood there awkwardly for several minutes, contemplating whether or not to actually go. She was too excited, she didn't want to sit in a stuffy classroom and listen to a teacher talk for an hour. She continued through the school and walked straight out the side doors and down the sidewalk. No one even tried to stop her and she hummed happily all the way to the mall. She walked in bravely and wandered through the huge mall. She stopped every so often to look into a window display, or stopped to admire baby clothes or toys. She knew she was getting way ahead of herself, but she couldn't help it.

"You really should be in class." She spun around and stared up into those beautiful green eyes. Her heart fell slightly.

"Look who's talking, Axel." She stuck her tongue out at him, but he just smiled down at her. The look made her nervous, like he was totally in love with her or something.

"I'll buy you lunch." He said hopefully. Namine wanted to say no, but she was too hungry to deny a free meal. She reluctantly agreed and Axel lead her through the mall to the food court.

She settled happily on vegetarian pizza and Axel disappeared for a few moments to get it for her. She waited patiently, watching the crowd until he appeared again. He set the food down in front of her and watched in amazement as she dug into it.

"That things eats a lot, huh?" He smiled at her and she let out a small laugh, nodding self-consciously.

They finished their food in silence and she thanked him. Looking out across the food court, Axel's face fell when he noticed a familiar figure appear out of the crowd.

"Hey." He smirked at his brother in an almost threatening way and put an arm around Namine.

"Hi, Reno." She smiled happily as he hugged her.

"What's up?" Axel slouched in front of them, his face falling slightly.

"Nothing, really, I just noticed Namine wasn't at school." She looked away when he gave her a stern look.

"I had a doctor's appointment." She stated defensively, blushing as the two brothers stared at her suspiciously. Reno leaned down to her protruding stomach and poked at it gently.

"Is it healthy?" He asked, pressing an ear against it. Axel stepped forward eagerly to press his own hand against it.

"It's a girl." Namine said shyly, both boys looked up at her with wide eyes and grinned.

"Awesome." Reno laughed, standing back up.

Axel stared down at it in wonder. "Wow, Namine. You should be proud." He said softly. Reno punched his shoulder.

"Have your parents said anything else?" Reno asked, looking back to her.

Her gaze fell down to the floor and she bit her lower lip. "No, nothing good anyway. My father yelled at me last night, he wants me out of his house." Her voice shook with worry and she rested her hands on her stomach gently.

"Kairi was really upset about it, I heard her talking to Sora earlier today." Axel spoke up, glancing between the two. Namine started to look depressed and he put an arm around her shoulders. Not wanting to be left out, Reno put his arm around her waist and grinned at her.

"Let's go home, you can watch me kick Axel's ass at video games again." He said in her ear. She nodded happily and several people watch them curiously as the twins led her out of the mall.

**xXx**

April 6th, it had been a long miserable day and Namine was ready for a well-deserved nap once she got home. She closed the door behind her and sighed wearily. Trudging up the stairs, she threw open her bedroom door and collapsed on her bed.

"Hey." Her looked up at her sister, leaning in the doorway with her arms wrapped around herself.

"Hi." Namine replied, pushing herself up again.

Kairi stepped forward into the room and seated herself down on the bed.

"How are you doing?" She asked quietly, patting her severely rounded stomach. Namine sighed again.

"I'll survive, I guess." She mumbled. "Just really tired." Kairi nodded and smiled up at her.

"You're getting so big." She let her hand fall back down beside her on the bed.

"I heard mom and dad talking, they said you need to start looking for somewhere else to live." She said sadly, looking into her sister's downcast eyes. Namine nodded in response.

"Namine." They both jumped and looked up at their mother.

"We would like to talk to you." She said somberly. Kairi squeezed her hand as they stood up together to follow the woman downstairs.

**xXx**

It was pouring down rain, and Namine nearly tripped as she ran out across the road. The raindrops were coming down so hard she could barely see, but it effectively masked how much she was crying. Kairi's voice and long since faded in the distance, leaving her cold and alone. She was exhausted from the long day, and the strain from running so far was starting to take its toll on her.

She slowed down to a hurried walk, stopping only to peer up at the dark outline of trees above her. Climbing carefully over the low fence, she made her way down the path. It seemed like it took forever, but she eventually found the exit and rested against the fencing for several moments.

Panting heavily, she dragged herself up to the front door of the only people she trusted now. Pounding on the wooden door, she leaned down on her knees in exhaustion. She heard the doorknob click and gazed up into Axel's surprised face.

"Namine! What the hell are you doing!" He grabbed her arm and quickly helped her inside, worry etched through his features as he rushed her through the house.

He pushed her into the upstairs bathroom and grabbed a towel down from the cupboard.

"You can't do that to yourself, you have to be careful! You could really get hurt!" She was shaking from the cold and he turned on the water.

"Here, take a shower to warm up, I'll go find some dry clothes for you." She thanked him as he closed the door on her and his footsteps faded down the hall. She took up his offer and stepped into the shower, not bothering to take her clothes off just yet.

She slowly began to feel warmth flow back through her body, and after carefully removing her cold clothing, she rubbed her hands over her stomach soothingly. She felt her unborn daughter wiggle at the touch and smiled down at it.

"It's gonna be okay, we don't have to go back there again." She said gently, reassuring herself.

She heard someone knock on the door and it creaked open. She peeked around the shower curtain and someone tossed a few articles of clothing on the floor for her and closed the door again. Namine finished up in the shower and eagerly dried herself off, pulling on the small t shirt and cut off sweatpants.

She wandered out of the bathroom and down the stairs to the living room. No one was in sight, so she continued through the kitchen to the basement door. Voices drifted up from down below and she walked slowly down the stairs.

The two boys were seated on the couch when she appeared, and Reno leaped up.

"Namine, what the hell happened?" He cried, moving over towards her and wrapping his arms around her small shoulders.

"I'm never going back there…" She said, staring at him seriously.

**xXx**

Two days later, she still hadn't gone home. Kairi had packed up a lot of her clothing and her, Sora, and Riku had brought it to Reno's house for her. Reno's mom didn't seem to care that she had practically moved in, but it was pretty obvious Axel had a problem with her living in Reno's room.

She sighed, glancing down at the test in front of her and answering the last question. She tapped her pencil on the desk quietly and glanced around the room. Most people were still working, but some had finished and sat there in boredom as they waited for class to end. Pushing herself up to her feet, she wobbled to the front of the room to turn in her test.

"About due, huh Namine?" The teacher's assistant asked, smiling up at her as she took the paper.

The small blonde nodded shyly. "Yeah, I can't wait." The older girl nodded her understanding.

"I bet, when my sister was pregnant she could barely move. Her doctor had to put her on bed rest because they were afraid she would go into labor if she got too tired." She reached forward and patted Namine's belly, grinning at it for a moment.

"If you're feeling tired you should go to the nurse's station, I bet she'd let you take a nap there." Namine nodded and walked back to her desk to get her backpack. After retrieving a hall pass from her teacher, she made her way out the door and down the hall. She passed the nurse's station and walked right out the front doors.

'Whatever, I'm going home…' She thought to herself.

She had walked only a couple of blocks when someone called out her name. Namine looked up.

"Hey, how are you doing?" Riku asked, stepping out of the shadows.

"Not too bad, I guess." She replied, shifting nervously as he got closer.

"Olette asked me to tell you that she still has a room you could stay in, if you want to." He said casually, shoving his hands in his pockets. Namine tilted her head a little, thinking about it.

"Actually, that sounds pretty good. Maybe I'll ask her about that tomorrow." She replied thoughtfully.

"Are you still staying with Reno and Axel?" He asked, she thought she detected a slight hint of hope in his voice.

"Yeah, but it's kind of weird…" She said. She supposed Reno would qualify as a boyfriend, but something about it seemed a bit off. She shook her head.

"I don't really know what's going on anymore, they're both going crazy over me." She said, a small smirk crept over Riku's face for a moment before he relaxed again.

"Can't say I really blame them." He said softly, giving her a quick wave.

"What?" She stared after him as he walked away.

"Later."

She stomped her foot. Boys were going insane around her…

**xXx**

"Hey Namine, how was your day?" Axel jumped up from the couch in excitement as she walked in the door. To her surprise, before she could answer he had pulled her into a hug.

"Um, it wasn't bad…" She said awkwardly. "Where's Reno?" Axel immediately released her and walked back over to the couch, only looking slightly rejected.

"He's not gonna be home until late, he's out with a few old friends." He said, changing the channel on the TV and looking up at her.

"Are you hungry? I'm cooking tonight, nobody else is gonna be home." He said, his green eyes lighting up again. Namine rolled her eyes and sat down next to him on the couch.

"I'm always hungry…" She muttered. He seemed happy about that and crept over to her. She didn't scoot away, but she watched him closely as he leaned down to press his ear against her stomach.

**End of Chapter Five**


	6. Family Values

**Disclaimer: **I don't own KH, it belongs to Square-Enix and Disney.

**A/n: **Sorry this took so long, I got a babysitting job and now I don't have hardly any free time. This chapter is a little bit short, but I really liked it. I took extra time to make sure it didn't suck. Things may get a little weird from here on…

**Chapter Six: Family Values**

She couldn't help but stare at him, he really was very handsome. His beautiful green eyes shone happily and he grinned up at her. She smiled back at him and forced her gaze to the side, watching the images flash across the TV screen. His hand rested gently on her stomach as the tiny foot beat against it, making him smile even wider.

"You really like kids, huh?" Namine asked. Axel looked up at her again and nodded. She watched him for several more minutes before gently pushing him off and standing up.

"I need to finish getting ready." She said, offering him a small, apologetic smile as she moved towards the kitchen.

Half an hour later, Axel was still seated sadly on the couch when a knock sounded at the door. He forced himself up off the couch and opened it, looking down blankly at the smiling girl standing there.

"Is Namine ready?" Olette asked.

Axel stared a moment longer before it registered in his mind and he turned to check on her. Olette followed him down the stairs to the basement where Namine should be packing what few things she owned. They rounded the beam at the bottom of the stairs and Axel glanced around the room for the young blonde girl.

"Namine?" Olette called softly, looking around the edge of the bed to find the girl curled up beside a cardboard box filled with clothing.

She jolted awake when she heard the footsteps next to the bed, sitting up quickly and looking up in surprise as Olette leaned over her.

"I'm so sorry!" She cried, pulling the box over to her and shoving more clothing inside hurriedly. "I didn't mean to fall asleep, I'm not even close to being ready!"

"It's alright, I'll help you." Olette smiled sweetly down at her and kneeled to help pile the clothing in the box.

Axel grabbed another ox and stated stacking some of her personal belongings in it, watching the blonde out of the corner of his eye as the two girls talked quietly together.

'_It's better she goes with her than stays here anyway…' _He thought to himself, glancing around the room in distaste.

**xXx**

"Hey."

Namine looked up with a blush when she realized Riku was standing right in front of her. _'What is wrong with me?'_

"Hey, what are you doing here?" She asked quietly as Olette jumped down from the back of the truck. He shrugged and smiled.

"I came to help, you shouldn't be carrying boxes around like that." He poked her stomach gently for emphasis and she rubbed the spot absently as she watched him walk over to where Olette was standing. She handed him a box from the back of the truck.

"You alright?" Olette's mother asked as she walked up behind Namine. She patted the girl on the shoulder and Namine looked up at her in surprise.

"Yea, I was just thinking." She said softly, following the older woman up the stairs to the house.

It was a beautiful three story house, complete with a large side yard with two huge oak trees. She had to admit she had never been here before, so moving in on her first visit made her feel a little nervous. The woman held the door open for her and she quickly followed her inside and down a long hallway.

"This is your new room." The woman said cheerfully as she opened a door near the end of the hall. "Olette's room is upstairs in the attic, she can show you when you two are done unpacking." She smiled and stepped aside as Riku carried a box into the room to set beside the neatly made bed. He grinned at Namine as he walked back out the door to grab another box.

She looked around the room as the older woman walked back outside. It was fairly large, the walls were painted a very faint yellow with white trim, giving it a nice glow. There was a huge window looking out at the backyard, and a white dresser against one wall. The closed had mirrors for doors, and she walked over to it to examine her reflection. Her stomach was well rounded now, sticking out under her white dress as she ran her hands over it and smiled.

"Do you like it?" Olette asked, setting down a box and looking over at Namine curiously.

She nodded. "Its wonderful." She said happily.

It didn't take long to unload all of her belongings, and just as they were finishing up, Roxas appeared in the doorway.

"I didn't know you were moving in, Namine." He said, giving a small wave around the room to the three teenagers seated on the white carpet.

"What do _you _want?" Olette asked playfully as he walked over to her. He shrugged and grinned.

"I came to see if you wanted to go see a movie." He said confidently. Olette giggled before remembering the other two people in the room.

"Oh, we have to take Namine and Riku then." She stated, grabbing Namine's hand and helping her to her feet.

"Sounds like fun." Riku said quickly, getting to his feet and following the others out of the room.

It was a short walk to the mall from Olette's house, and Riku held the door for everyone as the walked inside. The movie theatre was at the other end, and Olette quickly began window shopping as they walked along. The food court came up on their left and Olette ran over to see the novelty shop next to it, leaving Namine standing there alone. She glanced over toward the food court for a moment, and caught a flash of red out of the corner of her eye.

"Reno…" She whispered to herself, noticing the long red ponytail trailing down his back. He was seated at a table with a group of people she didn't know, with a dark haired girl leaning her head on his arm. Namine's hands clasped together in front of her as she stared at him, the breath catching in her throat. She had known it wasn't right, but he meant a lot to her.

"You alright?" Riku asked, stepping in front of her and forcing her to tear her eyes away from her "boyfriend".

"Yeah, let's go." She said shakily, letting him lead her along to where Olette and Roxas were waiting.

**xXx**

Namine stared up at the clock above the teacher's desk, watching the minutes tick by. The bell rang and she jumped from her seat, throwing her bag over her shoulder and running out the door. School was finally out, and she had more work to do. With a little over a month to go, she had to find a way to get what she needed for the baby.

She walked as fast as she could, finally spotting Kairi through the crowd of people thundering down the school's front steps.

"Kairi!!" She called out, waving an arm so the other girl could spot her. Her eyes grew wide when she realized who it was, and shoved through the crowd to reach her.

"Namine! I have missed you so much!" She grabbed her little sister and hugged her happily, pulling her aside to give them a little more privacy.

"How are you doing? Not much longer now, huh?" She patted her belly in excitement.

"Oh, not bad, I suppose. I moved in with Olette a few days ago, I get my own room now." She smiled happily a the older girl. "But, I was hoping you could help me…" She trailed off and Kairi leaned closer in interest.

"Of course, I'd help you with anything, what is it?" She asked seriously.

Namine looked down at her hands for a moment before meeting her sister's gaze again. "I need stuff for the baby, and I don't have any way to get it." She said sadly.

"Hmm, well, I can take you to ask mom and dad for help." Kairi replied.

Namine looked at her for a moment before finally agreeing. Kairi led her along through the neighborhood, talking excitedly to her about what they'd need for the baby. All too soon, it seemed, they were standing before the enormous house, staring up at it like it was the end of the world. Kairi reached over and grabbed Namine's hand, stepping forward bravely and pushing the door open.

"Oh good, Kairi, you're home-" Their mother rounded the corner from the living room and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Namine standing there. None of them spoke as they stared around at each other nervously.

"Mom." Kairi stated bravely. "Your other _daughter_ needs help."

The older woman began to shake her head gently, staring at the blonde girl standing in her foyer.

"Absolutely not." She stated, looking down her nose in disgust at her rejected daughter.

"What's going on?" The deep voice of their father cut in and Namine watched him enter the hallway in fear. He gave her an angry look when he saw her and quickly joined his wife.

"Namine, get out." His voice was seething with anger, and she gladly would have obeyed if her sister had not gripped her arm tightly.

"She needs help with the baby." Kairi said firmly, staring right back as her parents watched them.

"We already made our decision, the only help we're going to give is if she needs to pay for an abortion." Her father growled and took a threatening step towards them.

Namine tried to take a step back, but Kairi held her still. "That's enough. She's family, and she needs help, so we're going to help her. She needs money, now." Kairi stated. Namine felt her cheeks flush nervously and she ran a protective hand over her stomach as the unborn child began to squirm.

"She disobeyed us and shamed our family, why should we do anything to help her?" Her mother howled in fury. Her face was beat red as she glared daggers at the two sisters.

Namine cast a worried glance up at Kairi, almost begging her to drop it and let her leave. Kairi merely gave her a confident smile as she took out her cell phone.

"You're going to give her some money, or I'm calling this is in to social services." She said with a smirk, flipping open the phone.

The two furious adults exchanged looks.

**xXx**

Namine stared down at the check in her trembling hands. $1,000. And more next month, they had said. She looked over at her sister, who was sitting beside her, grinning proudly.

"There, told you I'd do anything to help you." She said smugly, looking down at the check curiously. "We can cash it tomorrow and I'll take you shopping."

Namine smiled happily. "Thanks, Kairi. I'm sorry I got you kicked out, too, though…" She said shyly, glancing around the room at the new stacks of boxes that had been hurriedly dropped off.

Kairi shrugged. "It's alright, I was fed up with those two anyway. How they ever became our parents I'll never understand. Besides, Sora and Riku are getting an apartment this summer and I was going to leave anyway."

That statement made Namine feel better, and she leaned back against the headboard. Her stomach began to jump and Kairi burst out laughing, poking at it curiously.

"Does she always do that?" She asked, setting her hand flat on her stomach and feeling the tiny movements.

Namine smiled to herself, she was getting very accustomed to having people touch her stomach. "Yeah, she does that a lot." She replied quietly.

**End of Chapter Six** _Review and I promise to update much faster!_


	7. Making Things Complicated

**Disclaimer: **I don't own KH.

**A/n: **Thanks for the awesome reviews, everybody! Hang in there, you'll find out who did it soon enough. Not this chapter, but maybe the next one.

**Chapter Seven: Making Things Complicated **

"There." Kairi huffed proudly, stepping back to look at the small white crib.

"How's it look there?" She turned to ask over her shoulder, smiling brightly at the blonde girl seated on the bed.

Namine sighed. She had moved it all around the room, no matter what Namine had said about it. There wasn't even any guarantee that they would still live here when the baby came, but being an excited aunt, Kairi had completely refurbished the bedroom. There was a mini dresser set against the larger one in the corner, drawers empty and waiting for their next shopping spree. A matching changing table sat beside it, and today the crib Kairi had picked out had arrived, hence the frantic redecorating the bedroom had undergone all morning.

"It looks fine, Kairi, and the baby isn't going to care. She won't even be here for another three months." Namine said quietly. She was tired, she had been watching her sister rip the room apart and put it back together for days. But she did have to admit, it looked nice…

"Are we interrupting anything?" The gentle voice from the doorway made Namine jump, and she wrapped her arms around herself protectively as her sister's excited squeal pierced the air.

"Sora!" She ran across the room to jump on him when she saw him in the doorway, making Namine turn away rather sadly as they started their usual bout of hugging and kissing.

"Yea, they make me feel sick sometimes too." She looked up at Riku in surprise.

"Oh, hey Riku…" She wasn't sure if she was happy he was there or not. It meant she wouldn't have to be the third wheel again, but it also meant he would be flirting with her the entire time.

"Ready to go?" Sora asked, tearing himself away from Kairi long enough to smile across the room at the young blonde. She nodded silently and scurried off the bed to put her shoes on.

**xXx**

The tension in the air was almost unbearable, Namine fighting down the nervous blush once again as her sister gave her a curious glance. Everything had been going fine, and now she felt like she could just melt into the floor and die.

"So, uh, what's up with Riku?" Kairi lowered her voice and whispered in her sister's ear, glancing over at the silver haired teen.

He stood several feet away, bristling in anger as Sora sorted through a discount bin obliviously. Upon following his gaze, Kairi finally noticed the hint of red outside the shop window. She let out a giggle and Namine felt her face heat up again.

"Reno followed you here." She whispered, a grin spreading across his face when she realized Namine's distress.

"I don't want to talk to him." She said flatly. Kairi pouted slightly, but shrugged it off.

A half an hour later, she refused to meet his gaze as the small group made their way back through the mall. He was still seated on the bench across from the shop they had been in, Yuffie, Elena, and a boy Namine didn't recognize standing in a group beside him. She could feel his eyes boring into her as she lowered her face, pretending to be completely interested in the contents of the shopping bag clutched in her hands. She had only walked a few feet from the door when she felt an arm wind around her waist, and her gaze immediately snapped up to see Riku smiling down at her.

If she hadn't noticed the angry look on Reno's face, or Yuffie's shocked expression, she might have shoved him away.

**xXx**

Namine sighed to herself as she made her way up the stairs, her footsteps echoing loudly around her. A dim light shone from under the door at the top, and she knocked softly before gently pushing it open. Looking around the room shyly, she noticed Olette jump up from the sofa against the far wall.

"Hey, your mom said you were looking for me." Namine said quietly as the brunette nodded and beckoned her inside.

"Yea, I found this on the porch right after you left with Kairi." She said excitedly, reaching down behind her bed and pulling out a gift bag. She handed it to Namine and watched excitedly.

Namine gazed down at the bag, lifting up the nametag carefully to see her name scrawled on it clumsily. "You don't know who it's from?" She asked Olette curiously. The girl shook her head and urged her to open it.

Namine shrugged and reached inside, brushing past the tissue paper until she felt something soft. Pulling it out, she looked down at the light pink rabbit curiously.

"Aw, it's cute!" Olette said, reaching out as Namine handed it to her.

She reached back in the bag and pulled out a tiny white dress, along with several pastel colored long sleeved shirts and socks.

"Hey, that looks a lot like your old dress." Olette observed, holding it up by the shoulders to look at it. "Somebody knows you pretty well, I don't remember you wearing it to school much."

Namine smiled and put everything back in the bag before taking a seat next to her friend. She glanced around the room in interest, noticing the bare rafters of the attic covered slightly by music posters and some old Christmas lights. There was a large window at the opposite end of the room, looking out over the street below. It was a very relaxing bedroom, though Namine had only been here a few times.

"So, how'd today go? Did you get all your shopping done?" Olette asked, smiling kindly as Namine rubbed a hand over her rounded stomach.

"It was pretty fun, actually. We still have a few more things to get, but mostly we're done now." She said absently. "Reno saw us go into the mall, he followed us for a little while…"

Olette wrinkled her nose. "Yeah, he's a pretty territorial guy. But he had his chance, don't let it bother you." She shrugged slightly. "Riku really seems to like you. Of course, he always has, but I guess now that you're having someone's baby everyone who liked you before has to compete now."

Namine almost shuddered, it almost felt like she was being hunted. "I wish they'd just leave me alone…" She murmured, hugging herself as the baby began to squirm once again. Olette nodded in understanding, it seemed like boys always found a way to make problems worse.

"The end of the year is coming up, are you as ready for summer as I am?" Olette grinned, hoping Namine would cheer up with the change in topic.

The reminder of the event only a few weeks away sparked her attention, and she returned the excited girl's smile. "Not worrying about school will really help, but they've been giving us so much homework I think my head is going to explode."

Olette laughed gently, the image of their teacher excitedly handing out homework flashing in her mind.

**xXx**

It seemed like the tick of the clock above the chalkboard pounded throughout the room, magnified as the student beside her began tapping his pencil on his desk impatiently. There was a sharp screech as a chair was pushed back, and footsteps boomed in her ears as Selphie walked by. Namine watched as she hesitated at the teacher's desk, flashing him a flirting smile as he snatched the packet from her hands and shooed her away. Pouting slightly, she glanced back over at Namine before slipping out the door.

Running a hand through her hair, Namine looked back down at her half finished test. She bit the end of her pencil angrily, this was literature, her best subject. Why was it so hard? She read the paragraph for the third time, her brow furrowing in concentration as she tried to understand it.

"Twenty minutes left, if you haven't already, you might want to start on the essay questions now." The teacher's voice nearly startled her, and her eyes shot up to his in surprise. He gave her a sympathetic look when he saw the horrified expression on her face.

Over the next twenty minutes she managed to finish two of the five essay questions, and had hit a brick wall. She stared down at the page in distress, glancing back up to the clock nervously as she waited for the bell to ring and tell her she had failed. Flipping back to the multiple choice section, she hurriedly circled several answers just before the bell rang and made her jump.

"Alright, put your tests on my desk and I'll see you all next week." Their teacher said, turning away from them to log on to his computer.

Namine watched the three other students hurriedly place their test packets on the desk and brush past her out of the room. She clutched it in her hands tightly, approaching the desk as if she expected the teacher to bite her. Setting the packet down gently, she turned to leave.

"What happened, Namine?" He asked boldly, not looking away from the computer screen as he entered some new grades.

"W-what?" She asked, her face turning slightly red as she looked back in embarrassment.

He spun around in his chair. "You're usually the first one done. What happened?"

She gulped nervously, not quite sure herself what was wrong with her. "I don't really know. I tried, I just couldn't seem to focus on it…" It sounded stupid, she knew it did. But her teacher nodded in understanding.

"I've had some pregnant students before, I know how it can get. Makes it hard to focus. I had one girl bring in a doctor's note because she was scared she wouldn't be able to pass the test." He reached forward and grabbed her test off the top of the pile. He flipped through it, frowning slightly before tossing it aside.

"If you bring me a complete essay on the symbolism in The Scarlet Letter, I'll give you twenty extra credit points towards the thirty you're missing in your test." He said simply, giving her a serious look. She smiled happily and thanked him, rushing out of the room before her dark blush became too noticeable.

It was lunchtime, and Namine retreated once again to her table in the corner, sitting next to Sora and letting her head fall heavily on the table.

"Fail the test?" Sora asked curiously, looking up as Roxas and Olette appeared.

Namine groaned. "No, now I just have more homework…"

Olette took the seat beside her and placed a gentle hand on her back. "Do you need any help? You've seemed really out of it lately." She said in concern. Namine smiled up at her and shrugged.

"No, I can do it. I'm just really ready to be done with everything and just relax." She breathed, resting her chin in her palm.

Olette seemed somewhat worried, but didn't push the matter further. Taking a seat across from her, she slammed a math book on the table and dug around in her bag for a pencil and some paper.

"Well I still haven't finished the review for the math final, and it's due tomorrow. We were supposed to turn it in today, but she gave us some more time when no one seemed to understand any of it." She said miserably.

"You think that's bad, wait until next year when you get a separate final for algebra!" Sora said, frowning down at the worksheet in front of her.

The cafeteria was quickly filling with loud, hungry students, and the Namine's head began to pound. Holding her hands over her ears, she closed her eyes and tried to relax. A hand brushed up through her hair and stroked down to her shoulder, and she looked up in surprise to find Kairi beside her.

"Hey, I'll walk you home." She said it quietly, in a commanding tone. Namine smiled in relief and took the hand she was offered, letting the older girl lead her away from the table.

**xXx**

The sun beat down on the grassy lawn, casting a beautiful glare around her as she stared down at the thick book in her lap. She felt a certain sadness at the sight of it, but a great relief at the same time. Opening it slowly, she smiled down at the images on the shining paper. Her first high school yearbook, Kairi had insisted.

"Hey Namine."

She looked up to see Axel looming over her, his silhouette outlined by the glaring sun. She sighed calmly, not watching as he sat down beside her.

"How have you been?" He asked, smiling over at her as she tried more or less to ignore him.

"Not too bad." She said simply, forcing herself to return the smile. He nodded for a moment and looked away.

"Have things gotten any better with your parents?" He was determined to get some attention from her.

She shook her head. "Not particularly." She said flatly.

He watched her for a moment, the certain hint of sadness evident in his eyes. "So, um, I was hoping you might sign my yearbook." He set it on the grass in front of her, looking hopeful as she stared down at it.

"Oh… Alright." She said softly, picking it up and opening the cover. Her bright eyes widened for a moment before her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Axel… You don't have any signatures in here. Not even Roxas..?" Namine looked up at him as he stared down at the grass he rolled between his fingers. He nodded down at it and flashed her an empty smile.

"Yeah, I haven't been very social this year. You're the first person I asked." He immediately looked back down at his hands, turning away from her slightly.

Namine watched him sadly, it all seemed so strange. His brother had gained a lot of popularity over the school year, and he didn't want it. But Axel had always been extremely social, he was practically friends with everyone.

She hid the blush that rose up in her cheeks and scribbled her name at the top of the page, along with a message about the past year. She smiled and closed the book, handing it back to him. He took it carefully and set it on the grass next to him, bracing a hand over it protectively.

Namine swallowed the lump in her throat and pushed herself up to her feet.

"Um, I have to go." She said quietly, noticing he couldn't quite look her in the eye. "So, maybe I'll see you this summer?" He smiled up at her and nodded, waving briefly as she started to walk away.

"Yea, good luck with that kid." He watched her disappear around the corner of the school and sighed.

**xXx**

It had been nearly two weeks since school had ended for the summer. Bright morning sunlight glared in from the window across the room as Namine stared up at the ceiling. Her brow furrowed slightly as she shifted, vaguely aware of the dull ache in her stomach. Glancing over at the clock on the wall, she noticed it was barely past six. Something had woken her up.

Sitting up carefully, she glanced around her. Kairi was sleeping soundly beside her, blankets pulled up tight around her shoulder as Namine moved. Her hands were shaking slightly and she stared at them absently as the muscles on her stomach constricted sharply, drawing out a pained gasp. Throwing the blankets back, she noticed the bloodstained sheets, the sight making her eyes widen in horror.

"Kairi." She called out shakily, her eyes not leaving the crimson sheets as her heart began to pound sharply.

"Kairi!" She shrieked when there was no response. Her startled sister shot out of bed, blinking in shock as she tried to wake up.

"What is it?!" She asked hurriedly, her gaze finally falling on the bloodied sheets as Namine's hands began to shake harshly.

She immediately threw herself out of the bed, pacing the room in a panicked flurry before the door flew open and they looked up to see Olette standing in the doorway.

"What happened? I heard you scream." She asked quickly.

Namine stared over at her in terror, tears starting to run down her face. Kairi began to wring her hands and quickly walked over to the worried girl in the doorway.

"Go wake up your mom, we need to take Namine to the hospital!" She cried.

**End of Chapter Seven**


	8. The Truth Is

**Disclaimer: **KHII belongs to Square-Enix and Disney.

**A/n: **Sorry to keep everyone waiting, here's the new chapter. You'll find out who the culprit is this time, act surprised! I really hope no one tries to kill me for this...

Thanks, my awesome reviewers, who give me motivation to write. I probably wouldn't have updated this yet if I hadn't been told to.

**Chapter Eight: The Truth Is**

Her head was swimming, the room around her wouldn't stop shifting back and forth in her line of vision. Feeling her stomach lurch, she groaned miserably. Immediately, Kairi was at her side, grasping her hand tightly.

"What's wrong?" She asked in near panic, assuming the worst.

Namine cringed slightly. "I just feel sick, stop worrying so much." She paused as she felt her stomach muscles contact tightly.

"Ugh, aren't you supposed to be the supportive one?" She asked, looking up at her sister's worried face. She smiled gently, stroking her hair as she leaned her head back against the pillow.

A nurse entered the room and smiled warmly at the two girls. "Feeling any pain at all?" She asked, checking the IV in her arm.

"Not really." Namine said halfheartedly. She could hardly move her legs as the nurse lifted up the sheet covering the lower half of her body.

"Good, the epidural is working. It looks like you're about ready to start pushing, so I'm going to get the doctor and we'll get started!" The nurse smiled cheerfully down at her and she groaned in response.

**xXx**

Namine opened her eyes slowly, staring up at the brightly lit ceiling in shock. She sat up sharply, a painful mistake as she cried out and let herself fall back down onto the covers.

"You're awake!"

She looked over at Kairi and Olette, smiling happily at her. Kairi rushed over to the bed, immediately pulling her younger sister into a hug.

"What happened?" Namine asked, staring up at the older girl nervously.

"You passed out, the doctor said you lost too much blood." She said softly, moving over to Olette and taking the small bundle out of her arms.

Kairi smiled happily, looking down as Namine's eyes were glued to her. She slowly handed it to Namine, and she clutched the tiny thing to her chest protectively. Her soft blue eyes widened in shock as she stared at the tiny baby's face. Olette got up to walk over and stand next to the bed.

Tears started to form in Namine's eyes and she looked up at Kairi sharply. Olette bit her lip and looked away.

"She looks just like Reno…" her voice wavered slightly and Kairi placed a hand on her shoulder.

"But isn't she beautiful?" She asked, running her hand through the cloud of flame red hair.

Namine held the baby closer, not bothering to hold back her tears as they coursed down her cheeks.

**xXx**

"Namine…" Kairi's voice trailed off as she stared across their small bedroom at her sister. It had been three weeks since the tiny baby had been born, and Namine had begged her and Olette not to tell anyone. She didn't know what she was trying to hide, she didn't care if Reno was her daughter's father or not. She knew everyone would want to see her, and she wasn't ready for the attention.

"We need to tell our parents." Kairi said stiffly.

Namine didn't respond, staring at the baby girl as she blinked up at her mother with bright blue eyes.

"At the very least you need to talk to Reno." Kairi continued worriedly, watching her sister as she finished dressing the tiny baby. She still didn't respond, and Kairi sighed. She walked out into the hall to find a phone.

**xXx**

"Hey, Namine."

She spun around, a look of disbelief on her face as she saw Reno poised in the doorway. She didn't want to talk to him, and she felt angry at the sight of Kairi standing behind him.

"Hey." She said bitterly, scooting to the side as he walked over to peer down at the baby girl.

"Wow, she's really pretty." He said softly, brushing his hand over the cloud of bright red hair. "You did a really good job." He smiled over at her and she pretended not to notice. He glanced back at Kairi and she urged him on.

"So, um, I know you're having a really hard time with this, and she does look a lot like me, but…" He cleared his throat and kneeled down next to her, taking her hand so she would look down at him.

"I'm not her dad, Namine." He said awkwardly, looking over his shoulder at Kairi as she hurried into the room.

"What do you mean you're not her dad, look at her! She looks just like you!" Kairi cried, pointing at the baby as she stared up at the three teens.

"And you were at the party, I remember talking to you! You were drunk…" Namine blurted out.

"Namine, I left right after I talked to you. And besides, I would remember if I had taken advantage of you, I wasn't _that_ drunk. Trust me, if I thought that was my baby, I would take responsibility for her, but there's just no way…" His voice trailed off as Kairi started to look angry.

Reno let out a choked laugh. "Well, um, you know…" He sighed and scratched behind his head awkwardly. "Axel was there too, so…"

"You think Axel did this?!" Kairi screeched. Namine stared at him in shock, Axel was really not the kind of guy that would do that sort of thing.

"You know what, I'm gonna go get him, you can talk to him about it. I'm really sorry, Namine, but it wasn't me." He gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek as she sat there in a near comatose state.

Kairi walked him to the door before turning back to her little sister as she clutched her tiny baby to her chest.

"Oh, Namine…" She sat down beside her and placed a hand on her back.

"Do you want me to leave you alone for a bit?" She watched as Namine nodded slightly, biting her lip and walking across the room to set the baby in her crib.

"Ok, I'm going to go see Sora, call my cell phone if you need anything." She said softly before walking out the door.

**xXx**

An hour after Kairi had left her alone, there was a soft knock on her bedroom door. Namine turned to watch as the door was eased open and Axel stopped to look across the room at her.

He inhaled deeply before coming into the room and closing the door behind him. He walked halfway across the floor towards the bed she was seated on and stopped. Taking a moment to watch her reaction to him, he clasped his hands in front of him nervously before letting them fall to his sides.

"Hi, Namine…" He said quietly, the cold look in her eyes not helping his nerves as he slowly walked over towards the crib.

Namine got up to follow behind him, staying a comfortable distance back as he put a hand on the railing and leaned over to look down at the baby. She was sleeping soundly, and Namine couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips as he stared at her in wonder, brushing his fingers across her face. Seeming to remember what he had come to do, he turned to look at Namine and smiled.

Allowing him to lead her back over to the bed, she sat down and he sat beside her. Staring down at his hands, he tried to sort out his thoughts.

"Namine, I'm so sorry." Axel said quietly. He reached over to take one of Namine's hands, and she didn't move away. "Before I say anything else, I love you." She looked at him as if she didn't believe what she was hearing. "Yea, I've been kinda crazy about you for a few years now…" He stared down at the floor miserably.

"I was really drunk, you were really drunk. I don't know how we ended up in that room, I might have asked you if you wanted to… But, uh, I know, that was a really horrible thing to do. I was going to tell you, but then you turned up pregnant and I just didn't know what to do. I told Reno after a while, but as soon as he found out the baby could be mine he didn't want to date you anymore…" He said hurriedly, managing to get most of it out before Namine stood up and walked across the room.

"I know, it sounds really stupid, and I know I ruined your life, but I wanted to tell you so much. I kept trying to get you to go on a date with me, hoping maybe I could just blurt it out or something, but you wouldn't give me the chance." He looked up as she stood looking out the window into the backyard. Her shoulders were shaking gently and he knew she was crying.

"Look, I want to help you, I got a job and I've been saving up money all winter." He jumped up from the bed and rushed across the room to her, grabbing her shoulder gently. "It was a really stupid mistake, but can't you at least give me the chance to help you?"

Before he could react Namine had spun around, glaring at him angrily. He stepped back as she slapped him, placing a hand up to his stinging cheek and he looked back down at the carpet. He didn't look surprised, and didn't pull away as she slapped him again. She paused for a moment, her body shaking as she stared at him. Tears ran down her face and she let out a choked sob. She drew back her fist and hit him in the face, surprised when he didn't try to avoid it. He cried out in pain, holding his hands to his nose where she had punched him. Stumbling back, he tripped and landed clumsily on the carpet.

Moments later, he looked up in shock as Namine kneeled over him, resting her head on his chest and crying into his shirt. He knew his nose was bleeding, and held the sleeve of his coat to it as he brushed his other hand along her back, trying to quiet her.

**xXx**

It was past ten when Kairi finally got home, hoping Namine wouldn't be angry with her for being gone for so long. She walked quietly down the hall, glancing over to the den where she could see Roxas and Olette watching a movie. Olette jumped up from her seat and rushed over to her grabbing her hand before she could reach her bedroom.

"No! They're finally getting along! Give them a little more time." Olette said in a hushed voice. Kairi looked down at her in confusion before leaning towards the door and catching the sound of voices on the other side.

"Who's in there with her?" She asked suddenly. Olette smiled widely.

"Axel showed up a little while after you left, Roxas brought him over after they talked to Reno, I guess. They were fighting for a while, or at least, she was screaming at him for a while, but he got her to calm down and they've been getting along just fine for at least an hour!" She clapped her hands together excitedly, obviously happy about the idea.

"What do you mean? Is he the one that got her pregnant?" Kairi was starting to get upset, wanting to break the door down and drag him out. Maybe kick him a few times before turning him over to the police.

"Yeah, he told her everything and he's been trying to convince her to move in with him for the past few hours." Olette said cheerfully. Kairi stared down at her in disbelief.

"Have you been listening through the door or something?" She finally asked. Olette blushed slightly.

"And he came out at one point to get some ice for his nose, he's pretty brave to go in there all by himself." She mumbled.

Kairi shook her head, finally having heard enough. She threw the door open and stomped inside. Axel and Namine were leaned against the wall under the window, sitting dangerously close to each other. They looked up in surprise as Kairi glared down at them, and Namine jumped up to her feet nervously.

"You, get out." She growled pointing threateningly at Axel. He gave Namine a small smile before climbing to his feet and hugging her.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow then." He said quietly, waving as he walked out the door and yelled for Roxas.

Kairi glared at her sister as she shut the door behind him.

"He knocked you up and now you're getting all buddy-buddy like it's fine!" She accused, placing her hands on her hips. Namine bit her lip sheepishly. "You never liked him before, and now after he ruined your life you're going to give him a chance?"

"I never disliked him, he just wasn't the kind of guy I wanted to date…"Namine said quietly, looking down at the carpet like an abused puppy. "Besides, he's really sweet. Look, he gave me five hundred dollars to get stuff for the baby, he seriously wants to be part of her life." She said boldly, showing her sister the envelope of money he had left her with.

"So are you dating now?" Kairi asked sharply, spitting it out like a curse. Namine seemed hurt.

"No, we're just… friends." She said awkwardly. "He wants me to move in with him and another one of his friends. He said they got an apartment and have en extra room."

Kairi sighed heavily. "I think it's a really bad idea, you barely know him."

Namine blushed lightly. "I know, but, maybe things will work out. I should at least try, right?"

Sitting down on the bed, Kairi rested her head in her hands. "If mom and dad ask, he's your new boyfriend. Don't let them find out he's the one that got you pregnant, or you might never see him again." She looked up sharply and forced a smile.

"He's cute though, huh?" She said, trying to change the subject and sound cheerful. Namine blushed darkly.

"Yeah, he is…"

**End of Chapter Eight**

_Sorry it was short. Please don't be mad at me if you didn't like how it turned out, next chapter might be more like an epilogue, but it could go further still. Please review!_


	9. Lucky Baby Rei

**Disclaimer: **KHII belongs to Square-Enix and Disney.

**A/n: **I haven't touched this story in a little while, but I'm sure you noticed that. I read over the last chapter I posted and had a good laugh, and now I'm ready to write another chapter.

And let me just say now, the kid needed a damn name. Through some horrible mutation of the names Namine, Kairi, and Refia (she reminds me of Axel), I came up with 'Reimi', and so shall the unnamed child be called. No further confusion. But anyway, this chapter is just full of warm and fuzzy, and I suppose this story was due for it. Very last chapter, the story is complete after this.

**Chapter Nine: Lucky Baby Rei**

Never in the history of her life could Namine remember guarding anything so closely. That wasn't to say she was ashamed of the sharp turn her life had taken, in fact she was much happier now than she had been in a long time. It was just that such an unexpected child from the two unlikeliest people in school was not to be ignored by anyone. In the few months she had spent in school dragging her oversized belly around with her, quite a few rumors had started up about Namine, none of which were actually true, but all of which, despite their subject, seemed to shove her to the top of popularity. Maybe it was the fact that most girls at their high school were just getting into the stage where they wanted to either have their own adorable child, or baby-sit someone else's. Whatever the case, the scandal had increased Namine's popularity almost sickeningly, and since school ended for the summer she spent most of her time avoiding everyone she knew.

An irritated sigh escaped her lips as she dropped her keys on the ground, bent to pick them up, and shoved the key into the lock in near frustration. It clicked loudly, complaining about her constant abuse as she twisted the doorknob and shoved it open, slipping inside before slamming it behind her and locking it again.

The few close friends she still spoke to always made fun of her for being so uptight, but ever since she had come home to find Cloud, Tifa, and Yuffie had let themselves in to visit with her tiny infant she didn't think she could ever be too cautious. Not that she ever left the baby alone, but her father was ever eager to show off his greatest creation, and had yet to tell anyone who made it into the apartment to leave.

Speaking of which, he looked up and smiled brightly at her when he heard the door slam, not making any indication that he noticed when she dropped the grocery bags on the floor and heaved a tired sigh. It seemed like she had to go out for groceries everyday. But then again, she found reasons to go out, after spending most of the day inside with the baby. School would start soon, though, so she could at least go and pretend nothing had changed.

"We missed you!" Axel exclaimed, pulling her into a reluctant hug as the infant propped up on the couch giggled and made a wild grab in her direction.

She didn't quite respond to the young man that insisted on showering her with affection. She wasn't sure if she could ever forgive him, as much as he liked to think they were a real couple.

"So, um, I was thinking maybe you'd let me take you somewhere tonight?" He mumbled quietly, glancing at her almost shyly and shoving his hands in his pockets. Giving him a sarcastic grin, she pushed past him and grabbed the bags off the floor, setting them on the dining room table and digging through them.

He came up behind her, putting a cautious hand on her shoulder and squeezing it gently. She shoved it off, glaring coldly at him for a second even as he looked away again. They went through this almost every night, she would be minding her own business and he would find a way to sneak the question in, probably in the hope that she would either give up or agree to it on accident by just not listening to him. His eyes were downcast, as they always were when he was waiting to be rejected again, and her breath caught in her throat as she tried to growl the usual sharp "No".

This startled her, and she stared at him in surprise for a second before turning sharply and walking quickly across the living room to the couch. The baby was waiting patiently, perfectly happy having been fed minutes before and reaching up at her eagerly. Her eyes were still the bright crystal blue eyes she had been born with, and her bright red hair stood up defiantly, sweeping backwards no matter how much Namine tried to brush it down to look less like Axel's hair. It wasn't that she was ashamed of him, just that the resemblance was striking, almost intimidatingly so.

A thought occurred to her as she cradled the overly friendly baby in her arms, and she stared down at the floor grimly. After receiving a wide yawn, she smiled down at her before placing her back on the couch, tucking a blanket around her before standing back up.

"I'll be back in a little while." She said quietly to Axel, waiting until he gave her a slight nod before letting herself back out the door.

**xXx**

Kairi answered the door on the third knock, yanking it open like she had been waiting eagerly for someone to come over. She smiled excitedly when she saw Namine standing there almost awkwardly, and ushered her inside.

"Namine! How are you doing? How's the baby?" She asked, following her into the living room and sitting down beside her.

"Um, we're doing good. Are the boys here?" Namine replied cautiously, glancing around as if she expected them to jump out from somewhere. Kairi shook her head.

"No, they've been gone all day at work." She said, tilting her head slightly as she watched Namine fidget.

"There's something I really wanted to talk to you about, and I know you'll be the most honest out of everyone." Namine said quickly, turning to face her older sister and give her a pleading look. Kairi nodded in surprise and leaned forward more.

"Okay…" She said softly, staring at the blonde girl intently after being so lonely all day. Namine shifted slightly under the intense gaze, clasping her hands together nervously.

"Well, I was just thinking, it's been a few months now, and maybe I should go ahead and give Axel a chance..?" She managed to say, not wanting to look at her sister in case she thought it was as bad an idea as she felt it might be.

"Hmm." Kairi leaned back again and looked down at the floor, thinking about what her sister said.

"I don't really see why you need me to tell you, it would be a pretty big step, what do you think about it?" Kairi responded pointedly. Namine bit her lip and rested her forehead in her hand.

"I don't know. I mean, he's been really supportive, we haven't had any problems and he's really great with Rei, but, this whole thing is his fault to begin with…" Namine muttered quietly.

"You know what I think?" Kairi stated, intent on continuing whether Namine wanted her to or not. "I think you're upset because you want to be close to him, but you feel like you're being forced together. I think you're resisting him to try and prove to yourself that even after having something so sudden and unexpected change your life, you have some kind of control. But maybe you've proven that you do still have control, and it's okay to let go. How do you even know what happened was his fault? Maybe you were the one that talked him into it. But you'll never know, will you? So how can you punish him and reject him for something you're not sure he was even completely responsible for?" Namine looked like she was thinking about crying, and Kairi stopped to take her younger sister's hand, squeezing it slightly.

"Sure, he didn't tell you, and he should have. He knew that, but Namine, he was scared. _Really_ scared. What if he told you and you turned him in for it? What if it completely ruined any chances he ever had of getting to be with you? I mean come on, _everyone_ knew that he liked you. Even you knew it. He was _proud_ that he liked you, and wasn't afraid to let everyone know it. He really screwed up, and he knows that. Look how hard he's been working to take care of you two, though. He cares about you a lot, and I think if you gave him a chance, you would feel a lot better about the whole situation. Maybe someday things will work out and you'll be glad you had Rei, because you might never have given him a chance otherwise." She stopped and sighed when she noticed Namine was crying, her face hidden in her hands.

Sitting up stiffly, she rubbed the sleeve of her jacket across her face and smiled.

"You talk too much…" She mumbled, letting out a choked laugh.

"I know. Sora says that too." She smiled back at the blonde girl and gave her a hug.

"Can you watch Rei for me tonight?" Namine asked quietly, still rubbing at her eyes. Kairi smiled wider.

"Of course, just let me leave a note for Sora and Riku so they don't worry." Kairi jumped up from the couch eagerly, scribbling down a note on a pad of paper and tossing it on the kitchen table. Namine followed her to the door, her nerves already acting up as she tried to think of what to say to him.

**xXx**

Axel looked up curiously as the door opened, getting to his feet beside the sleeping baby and making his way towards the door. Namine peeked inside, looking away from him quickly and stepping aside as Kairi slipped in behind her. He felt his chest tighten painfully at the gesture and moved out of their way, leaning against the kitchen wall until it was safe to make an escape.

He watched the two girls warily, not wanting to greet Namine with her sister there to defend her from his apparently unwanted affection. He simply stepped back and watched as the two girls kneeled down beside the sleeping infant, stroking her hair gently and whispering to each other happily.

He shoved his hands in his pockets yet again, turning on his heel to go hide in his room until Namine's somewhat frightening older sister left.

Her voice was so soft the almost didn't hear her, pausing in the doorway awkwardly and turning to glance back at her. Namine stood not far from the door, hand braced on the back of a chair and tapping it anxiously. She was looking intently at him, but he wasn't sure if she wanted to talk to him or tell him to hurry up getting out of her sight.

A small smile appeared on her face and he couldn't believe his eyes. It was obviously forced but the fact that she would even _fake_ a smile toward him was new. He walked back over towards her cautiously, almost not understanding as she walked over to the front door and eased it open. He didn't dare look at Kairi as he followed her out the door, closing it quickly before she could tell him to get away from her sister.

Namine didn't say anything as they walked along, but he stayed by her side faithfully. The sun was going down and he looked up at the sky, smiling softly to himself as the colors stretched across the clouds. He glanced over at Namine, and it was obvious she was thinking deeply about something.

Almost before he realized what was happening, his fingertips brushed against the blonde hair falling gently around her face. She flinched in surprise and he snapped his hand back, waiting for her to tell him not to touch her or something. She stopped walking, still staring down at the sidewalk even as it began to take on the orange tinge from the setting sun.

Namine shifted her gaze, seemingly forcing herself to look over at him. Her eyes traveled along his chest, up to the tips of his hair brushing over his shoulder, and finally looking into his eyes as he held his breath. She smiled warmly, and he wondered for a moment if she was feeling alright.

He forced himself not to jump when her hand shifted over to brush against his clenched knuckles. She linked their arms and eased him forward, continuing down the sidewalk as he stared straight ahead, almost worried that if he looked at her she would shove him away again.

"Axel…" She said after a while, glancing over at him. His eyes darted over nervously and he quickly looked away again, sure that something was wrong.

"Yes?" He said a little too quickly.

She stared at him for another long moment with her lips parted, then turned and watched the cars pass by them instead. A light blush colored her cheeks, but she didn't care. She supposed she really didn't have to say anything to him, he was bound to catch on that this was his chance sooner or later.

"I want to see a movie." She said instead, holding her head up slightly.

He smiled. "Okay."

The movie theatre was a long ways away, at least a mile from where their apartment was. Neither of them really cared, though, Axel was just glad to be near her and Namine was busy thinking.

**xXx**

She couldn't help but watch as he cradled the tiny baby in his arm, holding her bottle up with the other and talking animatedly to her. She enjoyed it, Namine could tell by the wide toothless smile on her face. Axel walked back and forth, telling her some exciting fairytale as what he considered a 'bedtime' story. It wasn't very calming, in fact she was pretty wound up by now, kicking her feet excitedly as he talked.

Namine was resting on the couch, a small smile on her face as she watched them move back and forth. The evening was Axel's time with the baby. Almost the moment he got home from work he would take her to give Namine a break. The time he took her had started out pretty short, he would hand her back after a couple of hours. Now Namine got the entire evening off from watching her, though she was starting to feel a little left out.

She came out of her thoughts to notice Axel staring at her, a slightly confused look on his face. She was looking at him and smiling, a real smile. He knew something was up, today was the first time she had ever accepted his offer to take her out. He couldn't stop himself from hoping that maybe after all these years she would give in and give him a chance, but he was wary of rejection.

"You okay?" He asked softly, the baby in his arms finally seeming to settle down from exhaustion. Namine nodded quickly and looked away.

He sighed, he couldn't help it. He knew he shouldn't have, and Namine's eyes shot back over to him. She seemed to be thinking something, and he wasn't sure he wanted to know what it was. Moving carefully so he didn't wake up the baby, he moved over to Namine's bedroom and set her down in her crib. He pulled a thin blanket up over her and she yawned, rubbing a tiny hand across her face.

A noise in the doorway startled him, and he looked up almost fearfully as Namine stood there. She wandered over to the crib quietly, and looked down at the nearly sleeping baby. He turned to leave and her hand brushed against his arm. Axel stopped with his back still facing her.

"Thank you, Axel." She said quietly, lowering her hand again.

He knew it would be polite to leave, but something made him turn around to look down at her. Her eyes were soft this time, not as hard as they usually were towards him. Stepping forward, he brought a hand up to touch her skin, but his fingers stopped and hovered inches away. He wanted to hug and kiss her, have her tell him she loved him too, any kind of recognition would be nice. His breath almost caught in his throat as he gazed down at her.

Then she kissed him.

It was quick, nearly void of emotion, and she left the room immediately after it, but it had been a kiss none the less. He stood there in surprise for a long time after she left, staring down at the sleeping baby that looked so much like him. It was an acknowledgment that he couldn't ignore, it held much more meaning than one might think a kiss could.

He smiled and leaned down to brush a hand through the flurry red hair, watching the baby girl squirm in her sleep before turning and walking quietly back out the door. This time, when he sat down next to Namine and put an arm around her, she didn't complain. She didn't quite look happy about it, but she wasn't complaining, either.

**The End**

_Thanks to everyone who reviewed this story and supported me through writing it! Even those of you who read it and didn't review! It's been fun, but it had to end sometime, I hope you enjoyed it!_


End file.
